The End Is Only The Beginning
by ELux8989
Summary: Is death really the end, or is it simply a new start? What if you could go back and change it all...This is NOT a story about how you die, but how you lived up until that moment. What if next time Steve chooses differently. McWeston gets a new beginning.
1. The End is Only the Beginning

**I do not own Five-0 or any of it's characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

So this is a bit of a departure from my previous stories. We're going to start at the end and go back to the beginning. Please let me know what you think!

Erin

* * *

It seemed like a lifetime ago that we'd been walking out of that warehouse. Danno had just cuffed Dao King who was running a trafficking ring on the island. The team had shared a laugh as I said the words everyone knew was coming, "Book 'em Danno."

We were all making our way back out to towards the vehicles when the first shot rang out dropping our perp. Everyone hit the ground as a second shot rang out, and then I heard the pop and a splash. I turned and fired off a single shot and we watched the shooter tumble from the rooftop. As we glanced around we all breathed out our relief as we got to our feet.

"Steve. Hey babe, why don't you sit down for a second." Danny said as he walked towards me. Chin had checked the perp and shook his head confirming that he was dead.

"I'm fine Danno. Let's just get moving. This is going to require a mountain of paperwork, I don't want to be here all..." My words tapered off as I saw the concern in his eyes. I tore off my vest and realized what my whole team was staring at, my stomach. I glanced down and saw what they did. A rapidly expanding bulls eye of blood as it spread out across my white shirt.

Just like that, my knees collapsed underneath me and I went down to the ground with Danny easing the way. A single round had pierced my vest and that was all it took.

People always think that death is hard but, the truth is that dying is the easy part. All you have to do is let go.

My thoughts blurred as a million things raced through my head. All the usual things I assume.

What if your life ended today? Would you be prepared? Are you leaving behind a lifetime of unfinished business? Did you have all the moments you'd hoped for? What would go through your mind if you knew that it would all end today? Truth is when the choice is taken from you, the what ifs are no longer an issue.

I've heard all the clichés about your life passing before your eyes, seeing the light, all of it. Does any of it really happen? Maybe it does.

As I lay here, I can feel the slowing of my heart rate. It's not painful, as you might expect. In a way it is kind of peaceful. Almost as if my body is trying to persuade me to let it all go. Mesmerized by the slowing cadence of the blood as it moves through my body. Everything I feel, everything I see and hear is telling me to just close my eyes.

The problem is, when I close my eyes I can see and hear all the things that I will leave behind. I won't hear Danno bitching about my insanity, or hear Kono laugh. I won't find out if the spark that I felt when I thought Lori was in danger was real or if it was just the adrenaline as it coursed through my system when I assessed her injuries. I won't get to see Chin in his element as he tracks a perp through a minuscule electronic fingerprint. And I won't get to watch Gracie grow up. That hurts more than dying ever could.

As the light begins to fade, I can feel her breath against my neck her fingers shaking as she shifts them over my neck in search of my rapidly fading pulse. I can even feel the hot tears as they track along my cheek. I'm not sure anymore who they belong to. I can still hear them all as the clouds begin wrap around my vision, though their voices are getting further and further away.

"Steve, come on babe. Hang on for me." Danno yelled.

"How far out are they? Chin I need an ETA! NOW!" Kono yelled.

"2 minutes. They'll be here in two minutes, I can hear the sirens." Chin answered.

Then I heard her and it made my heart stutter.

"Steve, please...please don't go." She whimpered against my chest. Her hands were searing hot against my skin.

"STEVE! Come on this is not how this is going to end!" Danny screamed, his emotions spilling over into each word as his hands gripped my shirt lifting my upper body off the ground and into his arms.

"He's not breathing. Come on babe, please..." Danny screamed into the air.

It was a moment of clarity as I felt it all. I heard it all but, it was like I wasn't really there anymore.

That beautiful girl sat beside me, her hands covered in my blood as the tears ran down her face. Lori, she was the only thing that I saw. Just Lori. I took one last deep breath and let her name fall from my lips, and then it was like the whole world started over from the minute she walked into my life.

"Lori."


	2. History Repeating

**I own nothing FIVE-0, no copyright infringement intended.**

Sorry it has taken me so long to update, but between work and some unexpected power surges that have been wrecking havoc with my internet over the weekend I haven't been able to work on this as much as I wanted to. I actually wrote this entire chapter out on paper first which I rarely do these days. Spoiled by tech is an understatement. Unfortunately when the same tech fails me it is twice as aggravating...but this chapter needed my full attention. So it had to wait till this morning when the power issues were finally resolved. The one time in my life I actually curse a long holiday weekend.

* * *

_"STEVE! Come on this is not how this is going to end!" Danny screamed, his emotions spilling over into each word as his hands gripped my shirt lifting my upper body off the ground and into his arms._

_"He's not breathing. Come on babe, please..." Danny screamed into the air._

_It was a moment of clarity as I felt it all. I heard it all but, it was like I wasn't really there anymore._

_That beautiful girl sat beside me, her hands covered in my blood as the tears ran down her face. Lori, she was the only thing that I saw. Just Lori. I took one last deep breath and let her name fall from my lips, and then it was like the whole world started over from the minute she walked into my life._

_"Lori."_

_As that thought dropped away, I felt a searing jolt as I found myself being dragged from one reality to another. Was this real? Or maybe my hell was to relive every moment I almost could have had._

* * *

My thoughts are cloudy and there is so much noise before I find clarity. The clarity comes on the back of what felt like another life, one that is bleeding into reality. I feel as though I am being jarred around and muscled about, but then I find myself watching a memory unfold and wrap itself around my consciousness. Only it feels as though it's happening right now.

I've sat in this very seat many times before, anxiously awaiting my turn to get ripped apart by my boss, Governor Denning. But, this was the first time that he was THE LAST thing on my mind. Across from me sat a green-eyed angel. Of course, a few minutes later she would be revealed as nothing less than the devil sent to tear my team apart. God I remember that moment better than anything and in this moment I would do just about anything to take back that moment and do things a little differently. Darkness again crept around me and the chaos that had fluttered in the background seemed to fade completely away.

* * *

I sat on the sofa in the waiting area for at least a half an hour before my appointment was scheduled. I am early for everything, Danny can attest to that. He always says that I'd be early for my own funeral, but for some reason today that thought fills my gut with knots.

On this day, I learned that someone else shared my affinity for punctuality. As I sat reading an out of date woman's magazine I heard her heels click lightly on the tile as she walked down the hall. There was nothing that could have kept my eyes from roaming in her direction. Her scent filled my lungs before she'd even rounded the corner, clinging like a memory.

What I saw was heart stopping. The woman who wore those heels was a lithe blonde beauty with expressive eyes, and she exuded a confidence that was hard not to admire. She walked up to the desk to check in with the Governor's assistant and I heard her speak for the first time.

"I'm Agent Lori Weston, I have an appointment with Governor Denning." She said.

Somehow, this scene was oddly familiar and her name rolled from my consciousness before she'd breathed the words into the air, I was certain. As she sat in front of me, I couldn't help but glance over the magazine in my hands. She was shockingly beautiful. I noticed. When I'm on duty, I NEVER notice. But, I couldn't miss the glint in her pretty green eyes as she looked on in amusement at my choice of reading materials. She actually took pity on me and offered the sports section. As she handed it to me, my hand grazed hers and I felt her as if she was coursing through my veins. And when she smiled, that was when the game ended. Or so I thought.

As we were escorted into the Governor's office, together, we both glanced in eachother's directions. Unsure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. In my mind, I felt like it had to be bad. Or at least that was what my memory was telling me. But, my heart was thinking this could be a very, very good thing.

As the governor made his intentions clear, I could tell she was less than pleased. And truth be told, I wasn't excited about a babysitter. But, I wasn't about to argue over spending a little more time with the first woman to catch my attention in a very long time. I wanted to write it off to simple attraction. I mean, we barely knew each other, right?

But, somewhere in my thoughts was the inkling that I knew her very well. And that part of my brain was screaming for me to learn more about Lori Weston. As we walked out of Denning's office, I could feel her bristle at the idea of this arrangement. I knew I should feel the same way, but I just couldn't.

"Look, I know you don't want me here." She started to say before I interrupted.

"Actually, quite the opposite. Okay, maybe I don't want you as my babysitter. And of course, I don't like the idea that you must think I'm some reckless fool based on what was certainly Governor Denning's less than glowing description of my tactics…but, I do look forward to working with you." I said. The last part falling off into a whisper.

She reached out for my arm and I felt as though I had been given the shock of my life. All the air rushed out of my lungs. "That's not exactly what I was expecting." She said as she looked at me. I could see the questioning look in her eyes as she tried to read my true intentions.

"Truth be told. It's not exactly what I was expecting either. But, I am having a really odd day. Ever have one of those?" I asked her.

"I think I'm having one now." She said as she smirked up at me. The way her green eyes lit up had my heart racing again. I felt totally off balance and it was not entirely as uncomfortable as I thought it would be.

"Come on. I'll introduce you to the rest of the team." I said as I grasped her hand in mine. Again I felt a sudden jolt, but I couldn't bring myself to let her go.

* * *

**AN: **I wanted to take a second to explain a little bit of what you saw and hopefully felt in this chapter...I expect you feel twisted around and confused, that was my intention. Steve has no idea what is happening around him. Is he alive, dead, in between. If he doesn't know then how could you? So, don't let the confusion get to you too much. I want to try and take you on that ride with him. Some of you will easily see where the lines blur and others may doubt it, but it is all about perceptions. There is no clearly defined right or wrong way to interpret things.

What I can tell you is that I have personally experienced this confusion as I felt my life slip through my fingers. Obviously, now years later I am writing about this experience and survived it, so hopefully I can do it some justice. So, if you choose to stick with me know that the beginning and the end are not always as clearly defined as we think or want them to be :)

I hope that you enjoy the journey. Erin


	3. Reality Bites

**I do not own Five-0, and no copyright infringement is intended.**

As the title kind of indicates reality is starting to flutter about making it hard to tell what is real and what is perceived. If you're confused you should be :) Steve is...

* * *

"Come on. I'll introduce you to the rest of the team." I said as I grasped her hand in mine. Again I felt a sudden jolt, but I couldn't bring myself to let her go.

As we walked through the doors leading in to Five-0, I could hear Danny talking to Gracie on the phone.

"I'm sorry Gracie. I'll pick you up from school tomorrow. I just...I can't leave yet. Danno loves you." I couldn't see him, but his voice sounded shaky and far away.

I could hear noises in the background that I couldn't place, and I could hear Kono crying and Chin whispering, "It's going to be okay, cousin."

All of a sudden the walls began to fade away and the air filled with a grey fog. I turned to Lori as I felt her hand pulling away from mine. I was completely unprepared for the sight before me. Her carefree green gaze was now more like the ocean in the midst of a storm as tears flooded her vision and the green became murky. I couldn't understand what had happened to put that look in her eyes. Then she faded completely from my sight as the noise crowded over my senses.

Her voice ghosted over me in the fog then, "Please Steve. Please don't go."

As the fog receded it could have been minutes or possibly days, I could no longer hold on to one part of my reality anymore. Once again, I was standing in the entry way outside of Danno's office with Lori's hand in mine and once again I felt at ease. Electricity pulsed between our connected fingers, but it was oddly comforting.

"Danno, Kono, Chin. This is Lori Weston. She is going to be working with us." I said as we entered the room. I offered no further explanation, but the team seemed to already accept her. It seemed strange given the circumstances surrounding her addition to the team, but at the moment everything seemed kind of odd. I couldn't put my finger on what was off, or perhaps I just didn't want to.

All three of them smiled as she shook their hands. Then she returned and placed her hand in mine as if she'd belonged to me. This time I felt the electrical current travel all the way up to my shoulder as her fingers intertwined with mine. In my mind, I tried and failed to rationalize our connection. How was it possible that someone I'd just met could feel so familiar to me? To all of us?

As I turned back to look at her, the world around me began to change again. Moments, hours or maybe days floated by until we resurfaced in a little coffee shop. I stared at her as she spoke about perfecting cream and sugar ratios. Heat bloomed in my chest as her words wrapped around me like a blanket. I remembered this conversation, only this time there wasn't anyone else in the coffee shop.

How did this happen? I can't hold on to the pieces of my reality long enough to make sense of it. It keeps changing. Is this the reality I'm hoping for, or is it just my brain torturing me as I leave it all behind?

But then her breath fluttered against my cheek and I heard the ghost of a whisper against my skin, "Please Steve, we need you to hang on. I can't lose you."

I turned towards her and saw a smile that was in deep contrast to the tears I thought I felt sting my cheek.

"Are you here with me? Or am I dreaming?" I asked her. My voice sounded hoarse to my own ears.

"Both." She smiled.

I tried so hard to wrap my head around all of the conflicting images but I couldn't decipher which were actually there and which my head was manifesting, or maybe it was my heart. Either way, I knew without a doubt that she was what I needed to cling to. The current that seemed to run between us was something of a lifeline, one that I chose to hang onto as long as it was being offered. Had she been this lifeline in my conscious world?

And more importantly, should I be alarmed that I was starting to forget the details about the conscious world. Or at least what I thought was the conscious world. For every minute in her grasp here, I felt further and further from what I thought had been the truth. Or perhaps it was the truth I so desperately wanted.

Did that mean that I was giving up? Because if giving up meant I was here with this version of Lori, was that such a bad thing? How long could I stay here?

"Not long." She said in answer to the question I had only thought to ask as I felt warmth suffuse my body under her gentle kiss. I closed my eyes as I savored her touch, and when I opened them I stared into her beautiful eyes again, only this time all the confidence her eyes held before swam away with the pools of tears that made tracks down her cheeks.

She had curled her tiny body around mine at some point, but the lights around her were far too bright for me to focus too long on where we were now.

I could feel her shift against my side and let out a low groan as her skin set my body on high alert. Then I felt the bed shift and a shadow blocked out the oppressive light shining into my eyes. "Lori, what is it?" I heard Danno ask as he stood up.

"I think he's waking up." She whispered. And just like that all of the pain she had absorbed came screaming back to me. It was blinding in its intensity. In a matter of seconds the room was flooded with even more searing light and people shuffling around. I wanted to scream, I wanted to crawl back to the other reality, and I wanted to fight with everything I had. My hands clutched at my throat, my mouth as I tried to breath and gagged on something lodged in my throat.

"Steve, you have a breathing tube Babe. I need you to leave that be for a minute. Lori whatever you've been doing keep doing it! Please you need to get him to calm down." Danno said as he waved towards someone outside of my line of sight.

A second passed before her warmth closed in around me. And then I felt her lips brush softly against my forehead as she moved to my ear. "Please Steve. Please just listen to me. You're doing so well." She whispered.

I continued to struggle wanting to get back to the place where I didn't feel pain. It couldn't be far if I could hear her talking to me. Her hands quickly clasped onto mine as she pulled my palm to her chest and laid my hand flush against her skin over her heart. "Feel my heart beat. I'm right here and I won't go anywhere. I'll be right here." She said. "Are you in pain?" She asked.

I tried to answer, but the tube prevented it.

"Tap once for yes and twice for no." She said as she tapped my fingertips over her skin. I looked into her eyes breathing a little easier as I tapped her skin once. I could feel tears staining my skin as the pain lashed at me from even that tiny exertion.

"Okay Steve. They're going to give you more pain meds." She whispered as she kissed my forehead. Warmth flooded my veins and the lights went dim as she whispered against my skin. "Sleep. I won't let you go. Just sleep."

Darkness fell over me, but her voice echoed in the shadows saying she wouldn't let me go. And I believed her. I held her heart in my hand and I didn't care if she was a fantasy my mind had created. I was going to do whatever it took to stay wherever this Lori was.

Sometime later, I felt a warmth ripple over my abdomen and then drift back as I felt the chill that preempted the other reality clouding back into the forefront. I knew when she was gone, because the noise she had always drowned out would flood in and painfully pollute my senses. Her cries flooded in with the rest of the chaos this time. "Steve, Steve! Please I need to stay with him!" She screamed before my veins felt like they had been filled with liquid fire and suddenly my reality was empty. All I could hear was an electronic symphony and wheels as they rattled down a cold hallway. Orders barked around me and echoed into my subconscious thoughts as I strained to hear her. But, this time she wasn't there.

* * *

Next Chapter...someone else will share their thoughts as an observer.


	4. Blood Loss

**I do not own Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.**

This chapter is Danny's POV. We'll get the first look at how this happened from his eyes. It's not going to be pretty...E

* * *

We used to joke about Steve getting me shot on our first day. Somehow, after today I'm not sure that we'll ever joke about that again. I was standing on the curb closest to one of the SUV's helping get our perp loaded for transport when I heard something. I usually had that nervous energy when things were going too well. Why hadn't I felt it today?

I heard a click as I turned to see Steve laughing as he watched Lori walking in front of him. He must have heard it, too. Only, he didn't move towards the sound like he normally did. Usually, he ran towards a threat half-cocked nearly getting himself or me killed. But, not today. Today he heard the click and rather than turn and fire, he lunged forward and dropped Lori to the pavement before he turned and returned fire.

By the time I spotted the shooter, Steve had already spun and reacted. It took me a few seconds longer to react, because unlike the rest of our team I had been riveted on one small thing. Ordinarily, I would be making a joke about how Steve had practically taken Lori out, except as soon as I heard the noise and turned in Steve's direction I saw him flinch. SuperSEAL was prone to all sorts of odd behavior, but flinching was not on that list. And in that second, my eyes followed his movement and spotted the ever-growing crimson shadow just below the Velcro closures on his vest.

If he'd continued to walk straight ahead, or even fully turned around to fire on the gunman the round would have most likely just hit his vest. But instead, he took this one moment to do exactly what I always knew he would do for any one of us. He intentionally crossed paths with a bullet to protect the team. In his effort to keep Lori safe, he had rotated his torso in her direction allowing the bullet to penetrate just below his right armpit as he reached for her. Unfortunately, downward trajectory allowed it to slice through his abdomen and any number of possible organs as it popped out just below the left side of his vest.

My gut twisted as if it had sliced through my own flesh. He stood stock still looking at all of us once the shooter was confirmed dead as though we had lost our minds. It was then that it dawned on me; he had no idea that he'd been hit. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins telling him that we were all safe, only problem was he hadn't bothered to assess himself. He'd only been concerned with the rest of us, which was precisely what I was constantly freaking out about.

I checked myself to maintain a calm demeanor momentarily before I shot a glance Chin's way. Chin immediately flashed his gaze on Steve and blanched, as I must have when I started to assess his injury.

"Steve. Hey Babe, why don't you sit down a second." I stated. It was then that Lori heard the slight quiver in my voice and took stock of what was undoubtedly a look of poorly veiled panic in my eyes. But I still tried to hold firm to my grip on that fear.

He started to brush off my concern as he undid the Velcro on one side. As soon as he did the blood began to rush from the softball-sized pool on his t-shirt to a basketball size as the pressure of the Jacket disappeared. Before I even had a second to consider my next move, my knees hit the ground behind him as I slowed the inevitable crash when his knees chose to buckle beneath his shock.

In that moment, I felt the need to tell any and every lie I could tell myself and him in the hopes that maybe one of us would believe that my friend was going to be fine. Unfortunately, it didn't appear to be helping me. So I really hoped it was working for Steve whose lips had begun to turn a pasty shade of blue when his blood refused to oxygenate.

I called out frantically for an ETA, gripped Lori's hands in my white knuckled grasp begging her to keep him talking to her anyway she could as she applied pressure to the exit wound. And then, I prayed to any available ears as I watched Steve's life spread out underneath him on the pavement.

And suddenly, his breaths hung in his chest wall. It was then that I heard it. I would have missed it completely if I hadn't seen the clarity roll over his features just moments before.

"Lori."

"NOOOOOO! Steve you don't get to say goodbye." I screamed as I stared at the blood that was bubbling up between her fingers where she had applied pressure.

"Wake up. Come on Steve! Hang on for me a little while longer. You're going to be fine." I said as I felt the unfamiliar flood of tears that dragged across my skin.

As the ambulance pulled up, it was easy to see that my fear was most definitely erring towards the realm of realistic. Even the medics believed he was going to die.

"What have we got?" One of the medics asked as he climbed down while the other two started to assess Steve.

"Commander Steve McGarret, He's 37. He's got a through and through, single shot. Entered right upper chest and exited left lower torso. He's just started to have trouble breathing and there are bubbles leaving the entry wound. He was conscious until about a minute ago, pulse is weak and thready, but there."

"And you are?" The medic asked.

"Detective Danny Williams, Five-0. He's my partner. " I answered.

"Alright, Detective. We're going to do everything we can. Anything else you can tell us that will help the trauma team?" He asked.

"His blood type is A pos." I answered.

"That'll help a lot. He's going to need it ASAP." The medic said as he called it in.

Within seconds of their arrival they had run several lines and taken steps to slow the bleeding. Lori and I stood by watching in horror as our friends blood dripped from our hands. Chin and Kono stood further off as the cousins tried to hold each other's panic at bay.

As the medics got Steve on a gurney, we loaded him onto the bus and I jumped on board.

"Lori, have Chin call the Governor I'll meet you at the hospital." I yelled as the doors were closing.

"Detective, I need you to hold the mask and talk to Steve. If I yell clear, I need you to sit back and make sure that you are not touching Steve or the gurney. There is a good possibility that he's going to crash on the way; he's lost a lot of blood. So I need you to get out of the way if that happens. Got it?" He asked me.

"Got it!"

I leaned over Steve and whispered, "Hang on babe. We're on the way to the hospital; they're going take good care of you. Just hang on for me, okay?"

The ride was about 20 minutes, but it felt like 2 hours as Steve crashed 4 times on the way.

You always think you're prepared for the worst until the worst happens. I knew he would crash eventually, he'd lost so much blood we had been luck that it hadn't happened before the medics arrived. Watching it happen, you quickly learn that you can never be prepared to see your friend die.

Luckily, they had been able to get his heart started quickly, but time was running out. He needed surgical intervention immediately.

As we pulled to a stop in the ambulance bay, we were met with about 6 trauma staff. I ran along side the gurney as Steve was pushed into a trauma room and the medics listed his vitals to the Doctors. As we rounded the corner, a nurse stopped me from entering the room and showed me to a seat in the hallway.

"I'm sorry you can't be in the room." She said.

I could hear the staff yelling orders as they cut the clothing off Steve's body, and the monitors wailing as he crashed for the fifth time before I realized my hands were still covered in blood as I lifted them to rub the tears from my eyes.

A nurse came up to me with a scrubs and showed me to the staff lounge.

"You can take a shower if you need to. We'll come get you if there is any news." She said.

"Thanks. The rest of my team is going to be arriving any minute. Can you make sure they know where I am and fill them in?" I said.

"Sure. I'll send them back."

As she walked away, I looked at myself in the mirror. My face and hands were covered with blood. My clothes, too. I tossed all of it in the trash bin and stepped into the shower. As the hot water hit my skin I watched as Steve's blood circled the drain and fell back against the wall as all of it came crashing down on me. My throat was on fire as I tried unsuccessfully to choke back the sobs that were gripping my whole body. Everything that I had been trying to hold in finally broke free.

A few minutes later I threw on the scrubs and stepped into the lounge to sit down at the table. Chin, Lori and Kono arrived shortly after followed by the same nurse, Susie. She set some scrubs on the counter in the bathroom and told Lori she could wash up, too.

Lori stepped into the bathroom and turned on the water as soon as the door closed. Not even that could drown out the sounds of her sobs as she rinsed the blood from her skin. I knew exactly how she felt.

"How's he doing?" Chin asked. Kono still looked shell shocked as she sat beside him.

"Not good. He crashed several times on the way here and once as soon as we got here. We should step out and see if they're moving him to surgery. " I said.

"You go. I'll make sure these two are okay and we'll find you when Lori gets out." Chin said.

I walked down the hall just as the trauma team was wheeling Steve towards the OR. His skin looked almost as white as the sheet he was lying on. Someone from Steve's trauma team came over to give me a quick update before he caught up with the rest of the team.

"He's on his way up to the OR. It looks like the bullet passed straight through his right lung and possibly hit his spleen on the way out. He has a lot of internal bleeding so we won't know exactly what we're dealing with until we get in there. But, we have been able to give him type specific blood and fluids. He's got a long way to go, but we're going to do everything we can."

"Is he going to make it?" I asked.

"I really can't say. He's critical right now. We need to stop the blood loss and assess the internal damage. I wish I had better news for you Detective. I really do. We'll send someone out with an update in about 4 hours. And, I will come find you as soon as we move him to recovery." He said as he pushed through the doors.

"Dr. Hathaway told me to set you up in the lounge. Someone will be by with some food for the four of you and we'll clear an on call room if you want to try and sleep. It's going to be at least 4 hours until someone comes down with a status update, and probably longer until he's out of surgery. I am on for the rest of the night, so I will let you know if I hear anything at all. My name is Susie." The nurse told me as she put a hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you, Susie." I said before I headed back to give the team an update.


	5. Touch and Go

**I don't own Five-0 or any of it's characters, no copyright infringement intended.**

A little more DPOV.

* * *

After an hour or so, Chin and Kono decided to try and get some sleep. I tried to convince Lori to go as well, but she insisted on waiting with me. So the two of us sat on the couch talking about Steve.

"I remember when I first met the two of you." She smiled.

"Yeah, me too."

"I think after a few hours, I was contemplating calling the Governor and telling him he was wasting his resources with me." She laughed.

"Oh really. You thought he overreacted in hiring you?" I asked.

"No. I thought maybe he should have hired a marriage counselor." She said as she laughed.

"You know, I think you might have been onto something." I said as I laughed with her.

"I couldn't do it though. I liked you guys too much. Well, actually I liked you. Steve was another story. I couldn't decide whether to kill him or kiss him." She said. Her eyes got wide as she realized her slip up.

"It's okay Lori. I've had similar thoughts. Though I can't say I've ever had the urge to kiss him." I said trying to diffuse the discomfort that hung in the air.

I watched Lori as she stared at the floor in front of her and nodded. As I was watching I noticed a tear tracking down her cheek before she took a deep breath and turned to me, "Please tell me he's going to make it. Tell me that he didn't just get himself killed taking a bullet for me."

I sat in shock for a moment before I pulled her into my arms and whispered, "Steve is the toughest guy I know. Besides, I still owe him a case of beer."

That got a tiny though somewhat waterlogged smile.

"It's just that there is so much I haven't said to him." She whispered.

"Babe, you were the first person he went for when he noticed a threat. And you were the last person he thought about before he lost consciousness. I think there might be some things he hasn't told you either."

"He was doing his job, Danny."

"While I agree it is his job to ensure the safety of the team as much as it is any of our jobs, but I don't think that's all there is to it." I said.

"Thanks Danny." She whispered as she gave me a shaky sigh and laid her head on my shoulder. A few minutes later, she fell asleep.

After a while I must have fallen asleep, too. I was jarred awake as one of the trauma nurses said my name from the doorway.

"Detective Williams?" She asked.

Lori woke up as I tried to stand.

"What's going on?" She asked as we both made our way over to the nurse.

"He's still in surgery. It's going to be at least 3-4 more hours." She said right away.

"And?" I asked impatiently.

"Well, we were able to repair and re-inflate his right lung. The bullet also traveled through his spleen. They are attempting to repair the damage, though removal is still a possibility. He can live a full and normal life without it. It can make him less resistant to infections, but after a while the other organs will take over and adapt. The bullet fractured several ribs, but luckily they did not do additional organ damage." She stated.

"Okay, so that's all good news. Right?" I asked.

"It is. However, he suffered extreme blood loss and it is very taxing on the body. We are pumping blood and fluids as fast as we can, but he had lost close to half his blood volume by the time he made it to us. This caused him to go into hemorrhagic shock, which essentially begins to shut down all non-vital organs. It also drops the BP and raises the heart rate. This added to the stress of surgery and the injury itself has caused him to crash several times. We've been able to resuscitate him, and we are doing everything we can to keep him stable. He is a fighter. We can see that, and he is in excellent condition, which is also a point in his favor. So, we will do everything we can to help him get through this. I need to get back up there now. Someone will be down as soon as he is out of surgery. In the meantime, try and rest." The nurse said.

She gave a curt nod as she turned and headed back up to the OR.

Just as the nurse left, Malia came around the corner. "Susie, I got a page from my husband that he was waiting in the ER. One of his team was injured?"

"Malia. Chin is here. He's sleeping." I said as I pointed into the on-call room behind me.

"Who was hurt Danny?"

"Steve."

"Oh god. How bad is it?" She asked.

"It's really bad. He was shot. It punctured his right lung and his spleen and he lost almost half his blood volume before he got to the hospital." I answered as I rubbed my eyes.

"How the hell did it go from one side to the other? Wasn't he wearing a vest? Was anyone else hurt?" She asked with tears in her eyes.

"No. The bullet was headed in Lori's direction, but Steve turned to push her out of the way. When he turned the bullet entered just below his armpit on a downward trajectory and exited just below the vest. He's probably extremely lucky it only damaged the spleen and lung. But, the blood loss is the worst I think."

"Oh god. Where is Lori?" She asked.

"I'm right here." She answered from the doorway. "Malia, can you go check on him, please?"

"Yeah. I'll go up and check on him in a minute. Chin is in the on-call room?" She asked.

Lori nodded and stepped aside so she could go see him.

Malia spoke quietly to Chin before she headed up to check on Steve. All four of us sat in the lounge as I filled Chin and Kono in on Steve's status while we waited for Malia to return.

It was over an hour before we saw her coming around the corner.

"Well, they are getting ready to close him up shortly. He should be out of surgery in an hour or so. They were unable to repair the damage to his spleen, so they removed it. That's not the worst thing in the world, as the other organs will eventually adapt and take over the spleens functions, however it does put him at greater risk of infection until that happens. Unfortunately, a bullet wound and 7 plus hours in surgery are already risk factors for infection, so they are going to have to keep a close eye on him for a while. He has struggled through the surgery because of the excessive blood loss, so there is concern about how that will impact his recovery. They will continue to transfuse and give him fluids and antibiotics, but once he is out of surgery, it will be a waiting game. He's fighting hard though."

"Is he going to make it?" I asked.

"I wish I could tell you he was with any level of certainty. I honestly don't know. He is a fighter, so I have to believe he will keep fighting. But, he's got a lot working against him. The trauma team will do everything they can to support his recovery. We just have to be there for him and pray that he pulls through this." She said. "I'm off duty, so why don't you and Lori get some sleep. I know you won't sleep once he's out, so go now. Chin, Kono and I can wait for news and I'll be sure and call you when we know anything else."

"Okay. But, as soon as he's out of surgery come get us." Lori said.

"I asked the trauma nurse to page me when they are on their way to recovery, so I'll get you before they come talk to us. Okay?" She asked.

"Yeah. Sounds good." I said as we made our way back to the on-call room. Lori took Kono's bed and I slept where Chin had slept. No sense getting the other two bunks dirty for an hour or two of sleep.

An hour and fifteen minutes later, Malia knocked on the door to the on-call room.

"Dr. Hathaway is on his way down to speak to you. He's out of surgery."

Lori and I both bolted out of bed and back to the lounge in a hurry. The doctor came into the room a few minutes later.

"Well, Steve is out of surgery. We were able to repair his lung and control the internal bleeding. Unfortunately, we were not able to repair the spleen as it was continuing to cause blood loss. The best course of action was to remove it. As the nurse and Malia here have probably told you, it is not something to be concerned over. His body can adapt and function without a spleen. However, his heart did stop a number of times throughout the surgery most likely due to the excessive blood loss and shock. While we were able to restart it, we won't know what, if any damage this could have caused yet. Anytime you are dealing with cardiac arrest there are a number of risks. Brain damage from a lack of blood and oxygen to the brain is our number one concern. Until he regains consciousness we won't know the extent of any damage if there is any. He is in recovery; we will move him to the ICU once he has had ample time to recover from the anesthesia. We will keep him pretty heavily sedated; so I do not expect him to wake up tonight, but once he is in the ICU I can let you see him one at a time. Any questions?" Dr. Hathaway asked.

"When will he wake up?" Lori asked.

"Anywhere from 4 hours to 24 hours most likely. We'll monitor his vitals as he begins to regain consciousness, but we may keep him sedated a little longer to help with pain management. So, it could be longer. Our priority is to keep him as comfortable as possible and rest is going to be a key to his recovery as well." The doctor said.

"Can I stay with him?" Lori asked.

"No. We don't allow visitors for more than 30 minutes at a time." He answered.

She looked disappointed with that answer. But, she nodded her understanding.

After a few hours, Susie came to take us to the ICU waiting area. She then led Lori and I to his room and allowed us to go in one at a time. I walked into the dimly lit room and was instantly aware of the whoosh from the ventilator, a multitude of beeping machines and monitors and a very, very pale Steve. He look more fragile than I'd ever seen him. The SuperSEAL was nowhere to be found and I realized this was the first time I had ever seen him look so vulnerable. That thought sent a tingle down my spine. I didn't like it one bit.

"Hey babe. I'm really glad to see you. It's been a tough night, huh?" I said to him.

"Lori is outside." I said. Susie stuck her head in as his monitors picked up a bit, but she must have been satisfied there was no cause for alarm as she stayed in the hall way with Lori. "She's pretty worried about you. We all are."

I reached out and touched his arm as I spoke to him.

"I think she feels a little guilty that you got hurt protecting her. But, I'm pretty sure you were just trying to get bonus points with the hot girl." I said with a laugh before I leaned in and whispered. "I think it worked babe."

"Well, I'm going to let her come and see you. Rest up. I'll come back in a bit."

I walked out of the room so that Lori could come in. Susie and I stood in the doorway watching his monitors as Lori stood beside him.

"I'm sorry Steve. You shouldn't have done that for me." Lori whispered as she sat in the chair beside his bed. She lifted his hand into hers and held it against her cheek as she spoke.

"I know you're a SuperSEAL and everything, but maybe next time you need a cape with a little more coverage." She laughed.

"You have to get better for me, okay?" She asked. "I can't be the person who takes you away from Danno. He won't tell you, but he needs you as much as I do. And you and I, we need to have a discussion when you wake up, too. I don't think I've been completely honest with you. Or myself."

"Well, I better get going. The doctors are starting to look like they might kick me out." She said as she leaned down a kissed his forehead. His monitors pinged momentarily at the contact.

As Lori moved towards the doorway, his monitors began to wail and a team of doctors pushed their way towards the room.

"Steve! Steve. Calm down." Lori whispered as she turned back towards Steve instantly and reached out to lay her hand over his heart. I don't think it was a conscious gesture, but it was effective nonetheless. Steve's heart rate began to slow as soon as her hand touched his skin.

The doctors stood in the doorway watching his monitors begin to level off. Then they looked to Susie, "Well, I guess perhaps we can amend our visitation policies. Clearly, she is a comforting presence for him." Dr. Hathaway said.

"Detective Williams seemed to have a similar effect. Though not quite as much as the young woman." One of the other nurses mentioned.

"Would it be alright if I sat with her. I can just sit inside the doorway. Maybe hearing us talk would help, too?" I suggested.

"We can arrange for another recliner. Just try to keep it down and both of you should get some rest, too." The doctor said. "If anything changes, you'll both need to leave the room so our team can intervene. Understood?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you." We both answered.

For the next four hours, Lori and I passed the time talking softly. We switched places a few times, but it was clear Steve would become distressed if Lori was gone too long. It was strange how tuned in he was to her presence. But, I wasn't about to question it. Eventually, Lori fell asleep with her head resting on the bed as she held his hand. After a while the machine noises began to blend into the background and I fell asleep, too.

* * *

**AN:** Next up, we'll get back to Steve's POV. What have these hours been like for him? If you can't wait for the next chapter, please check out some of my other stories. My favorite story to date is Stolen Moments. And be sure to check out SEALteamsteve, C.I. Tigerfan they also have some great H50 fics. I know there are a bunch of others, too. I'll list a few more next chapter. Enjoy!

Erin


	6. Set Backs

**I don't own anything Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.**

AN: Just to clarify, Steve's timeline and everyone else's timeline's are not always the same. His reality jumps back and forth from past to present, reality to "dreams".

* * *

I couldn't grasp on to anything for very long. As much as I tried, Lori would slip from my grasp whenever the chaos surrounding me became too loud. My throat burned and there were too many unfamiliar voices for me to tune in only to her when the others were there.

I feel like I am being pulled further and further away from the world. My whole body ached and burned and I felt as though I was being pulled in every direction. The only reprieve I got was when everything went silent. It had happened quite a few times, but I couldn't hear her there. When I was there, I could see and hear someone else.

"Steve, I wish I could be happy to see you. But, I was hoping that you would have a few more grey hairs before you and I saw each other again."

"I'm sorry dad. This obviously wasn't my plan. I don't know how it happened." I said as I looked down at my clothes. They were clean and gave no clues as to how I had arrived here.

"I know. This wasn't in my plans either. I don't think anyone is really ready for it."

"You know, I'm happy. I've been happy. I met Danny when he took on your case, he's the first really good friend I've had outside of my SEAL team. And then Kono and Chin. He would want me to say hi to you I bet. And last, I met Lori. She's pretty dad and really smart. I'm afraid maybe wasn't as I nice as I should have been though." The thought brought with it a searing pain that surrounded my chest like a vice.

"I think you'll have time to rectify that." He said.

I looked at him with doubt as he spoke again, this time he looked pained by what he saw.

"Son, I think you were shot." He said as he pointed to my torso.

Now, when I looked down I could see the bright red stains spreading rapidly on the white t-shirt.

"What's happening?"

"Your reality is calling you back I think. You need to go son."

He disappeared amid the chaos of machines and loud voices booming with orders.

It was lonely in this reality. Cold even.

But, just as quickly Lori stood before me once again. This time we were standing on the beach at my place. I could hear the rest of the team in the distance, maybe on the patio but all I cared about was the woman who stood beside me.

She was wearing a sundress and her soft hair brushed against my shoulder as it caught on a breeze. I remember this day. It was my birthday. Only, this time it was a little different. I was different. Nicer.

"I love watching the ocean. It's sort of peaceful." I told her.

"Yeah, it is. I like seeing you like this. Relaxed, you know. It doesn't happen often." She smiled.

"No, I suppose it doesn't. I do feel relaxed when you're around. It's nice having you here. It feels, I don't know, right I guess."

She smiled as she laid her hand on my shoulder and I felt that jolt of electricity again. And she was gone. But her voice lingered.

"Please hold on, Steve." She whispered into the wind.

I leaned towards the sound of her voice and found myself staring out from behind my desk at Five-0.

"Steven, are you even listening to me?" Danny asked.

"Huh?" I said as I looked at her sitting at her desk. She looked upset.

"She's fine. It's just a bad day for her." Danny said as he stared at me. "Fine, why don't you just go talk to her already because you sure aren't listening to me babe."

"Why?"

"Why go talk to her?"

"No, why is it a bad day?"

"Today it's been 16 years since her family passed away in a plane crash. It's just a tough day."

With that I pushed off of my chair and moved towards her. Before I had even taken a single step I was standing in front of her. I found it odd how quickly things shifted, but I couldn't begin to complain when it brought me closer to her in an instant.

"I'm fine Steve. Really. You don't need to babysit me." She said in a bit of a brush off. It was the first time she'd sounded short with me here, in this reality.

"I'm not. I mean, I didn't come to babysit. I just thought you should know that I care." I said.

In an instant, I was stunned silent as she stood and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Thank you." She whispered.

I couldn't help but turn my head towards her and lean my chin against her soft hair.

"I may not always say it, but I do care. I care about you." I whispered.

"I know." She said as she kissed my cheek.

I felt it like a burst of bright light and electricity that shot through my limbs and once again I was surrounded by darkness.

"She's a pretty one Steve. I think she's worth fighting for." My dad whispered as he walked towards me bringing the light with him.

"Yeah. She is. I wish I had told her that I cared. You know, in case I have to stay here."

"You still have control over whether you stay here or not, son. You won't for very much longer though. You need to fight for her, for your life now. Before the light starts to follow you, too. It's not time for you to let go yet." He whispered as the darkness closed in around him and I was back to the chaos.

"We need more type specific, and the spleen is gone. We need to remove it before he bleeds out. We can't keep bringing him back! And someone go update his team." Someone yelled.

At least for now, I knew which reality I was in. Now if only I could hear her, too.

* * *

Up next, a new POV. Steve's POV may pop up as well.


	7. Two Steps Back

**I don't own anything Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.**

Just so that you can catch up, this chapter starts off in Lori's POV then transfers to Steve. It will finish out with Lori's POV on what occurred at the end of Chapter 3.

So, in Lori's view this is in order after he has been out of surgery for a while. Steve's view is the one that has jumped out of place.

As most people who have suffered a traumatic injury resulting in a coma would tell you, nothing occurs on a timeline and bits and pieces of what happens around you do tend to filter in.

* * *

**LPOV**

Less than 12 hours ago, we were all laughing as we wrapped up the case we'd been working on. Chin and Kono were headed to the SUV to take Dao King back to the precinct and book him. I was walking in the other direction towards Danny's car with Steve not too far behind. I could always feel his focus when it zoned in on me.

It didn't happen often, he spent a lot more time trying to avoid me or at least keep a certain distance between us. Some days, I thought he really didn't like me. But, others I got the impression that it was something completely different. Today, I don't know if it was duty or something more personal that made him do what he did. It wouldn't matter, because either way the end result would never give me comfort.

He was shot protecting me, and the why behind it really didn't matter. We'll never know how close that shot would have been, but I'll never forget the choice that he made in that one instant. It would haunt me if he didn't survive this. But I refuse to think of that as an option.

I laid my head beside his hand on the bed as stroked my fingers over his hand. Every time I picked up his hand his heart rate monitor would beep a little faster. Just briefly, but in those moments I think he knew I was there.

"I'm right here. Danny is, too. We're not going anywhere, so you stay with us Steve." I whispered against his hand.

I fell asleep with his hand in mine, and my head resting beside our hands. He still felt cold, but his hand warmed against my skin quickly.

My dreams were all over the place that night, Steve was the recurring theme, but the places were always jumbled. And somehow the dreams, they didn't feel like they were mine. They felt more like they belonged to him.

**SPOV**

Finally, silence descended and I could feel the people I cared about surrounding me. I felt her touch on my skin and I wanted so badly to open my eyes, but the weight of my dreams pulled me under like high tide. I couldn't quite get there. But, somehow she followed me here. Somehow I wasn't alone.

Danny lingered in the shadows, too. I could hear him as he spoke softly, too.

But, she was the one I wanted to focus on. She was the one who had me pulling towards the conscious world.

I wanted to laugh out loud when she told me that I needed a cape with better coverage.

She spoke softly for several minutes as I clung to her presence until I heard her say she was leaving. Then I strained hard to fight to fog that kept me unconscious. It was painful and the noises that surrounded me were unbearably loud, but I couldn't let her go yet. I needed to keep her near me. I could hear the footsteps echoing on the linoleum, but I also heard her approaching again as she asked me to calm down. I couldn't do it I needed her to stay. And then I felt it. Warmth ran through me like a current as her hand seared the skin over my heart.

Her touch was better than any drug they could offer as it spread calm and warmth throughout my body. I heard the doctors as they entered the room, but even they seemed to notice the spell she had cast over me.

I felt her breath against my hand as she spoke in soft tones, and her fingers as they gently rubbed circles across the back of my hand. She clung to me like a lifeline and it was one that I desperately wanted to hang onto.

After a while the world around me grew silent, save for a faint beep in the background until once again I was transported to another place. Back to the scene where we had captured Dao King. Back to the place where this all started.

It was starting to get dark. And we were making our way out towards our vehicles. I remembered this time how things had gone. Only now, I was a few steps further back. Too far.

The sound that came from the rooftop behind me seemed much louder and more ominous than it had in my earlier memories of the events. Instead of a click it was a bang, and as the bullet sailed passed me I watched it hit Lori just above the vest. She had turned towards the noise so the bullet had torn through her neck and killed her instantly. Was this what would have happened if I hadn't been paying attention, or just what I feared may have happened?

As the thought dissipated, Danny stepped into my line of sight and said, "I know you don't like to be the hero, but today you were. I only wish you'd kept your back turned to do it so your vest could have taken the hit. You're a mess babe."

"You and me both Danno. But, I wouldn't take it back."

As he disappeared, I was left to witness the alternative once again before the chaos consumed me again. Voices, so many I couldn't figure out who was speaking. The wail of machines pierced the air and my chest began to burn again. I felt her loss as the vision before me played out and panic rose above all else.

But, finally I felt warmth swim through me once again. Perhaps it was a medicated bliss, or perhaps it was the feeling of Lori sitting on the edge of the bed as she spoke calming words against my ear.

I basked in the glow of her presence for a while until I finally opened my eyes. I saw recognition in her eyes and I knew I was looking at the living-breathing version of the angel who had inhabited my dreams. Somehow, she seemed to recognize my confusion and pain as she placed my hand beneath hers against her heart and asked me how the pain was. Then I felt the warmth flood through my blood stream again as pain meds were delivered and the fog rolled in like the tide.

In the distance, I could hear her as she called out to the doctor in a panic. The warmth that I had felt rippling over my abdomen wasn't from the meds that I had been attributing it to.

**LPOV**

"He's bleeding. Danny get the doctors!" She yelled as she touched my face.

As the doctors came rushing in I was quickly pushed aside. I begged to stay by his side, but as they pulled the bandages off and blood pooled over his skin I knew he was going someplace I couldn't follow.

"Susie, call the OR! Tell them we're on our way!" Dr. Hathaway yelled as they transferred him to a gurney.

As he was pushed away, I stood rooted to a spot in the corner staring at his now empty bed and the blood that stained the sheets and dripped onto the floor. My heart sank as I felt Danny's arms wrap around my shoulders and we slid to the floor. Chin and Kono came running in moments later with looks of shock as they witnessed the remnants of what had just occurred.

"What happened?" Kono sobbed.

"We don't know." Danny said as the nurses came in to clean up.

"He's going to be okay, right?" Kono asked.

"I hope so." Danny said. "I hope so."

* * *

Next chapter, you'll get Danny's POV. Steve may make an appearance briefly, but for the most part it will be told in DPOV.


	8. Breakdown

**I do not own Five-0 or anything related to it. No copyright infringement intended.**

Well, this one is going to put everyone through the ringer. And you are about to see a very different side to one of the Five-0 team members as the Governor pushes them to their limits.

* * *

**DPOV**

They said this kind of thing could happen. They said it was no one's fault. But to look at us, Lori and myself we sure did look like the picture of blame. We had been sitting here for hours with Steve. Observing, listening, talking. And yet, we failed to notice when everything changed.

I watched on in horror as my friend clung to life and lay bleeding just a few feet away. Even now, some twenty minutes after he'd been rushed back to the OR, I could still see the shock of bright red blood as it had spread out against the white sheets.

"What if he's not okay?" I asked no one in particular.

"He has to be okay, right?" Lori asked with a pleading look in her eyes.

"Yeah, he has to be." I whispered.

"Oh god, this is my fault. All of this, he was shot because of me. And then I was sitting right there. On the edge of his bed and, and….I didn't even notice!" She said as she rubbed at her eyes.

"Lori, this isn't your fault. I know what he did today. But, he knew what he was doing, too. He wouldn't have done it if he didn't think that the risk to himself was less than the risk to you, or anyone else who might have come into the line of fire." I told her as I put my arm around her shoulder.

"But, he couldn't have known what would happen. I might have been fine." She whispered.

"Maybe, but despite all the crazy risks Steve takes. He doesn't fool around with the lives of the people he cares about and whether you believe it or not, he cares about you more than you know. I see it, he watches you whenever there is a threat. He always reaches out to touch you when we go into dangerous situations, but what he's really doing is checking to make sure your vest is secure. I'm not even sure he's aware of it, but he does it. You do, too."

"Huh? I do what?" She asked.

"You really don't know do you? You've never noticed that when we all go to the SUV to gear up, as you check your gear you check his, too. Honestly, the two of you have no idea what a pair you are. I told him once, maybe a day or two after you started working with us that you were perfect for him. You both have this insane focus, your meticulous in maintaining your weapons, you shoot almost as well as he does, and you are the only person I've ever seen get right up in his face and yell at him and not get your ass handed to you. You really don't see it?"

"What, No. I don't have anywhere near his focus. And how many times has he had to save my ass. Look at yesterday. He heard the clip pop before the round even left the barrel. If I had his focus I'd have turned and been out of the way long before he had to take that bullet." She said.

"Look, I'm not even sure how he heard it over all of our chatter and the sirens in the distance. Let's just chalk that one up to Steve's ninja reflexes. We can recount it until we're blue in the face, but there is no way anyone of us could have known what was about to go down. Steve did what he thought would keep the team safe. He's never been good at thinking about Steve. But, he spends every minute on the job thinking about the rest of us. While that pisses me off to no end, I get it. I wish he worried about his own safety half as much as he worries about ours, but at the same time on more than one occasion he has been the reason I made it home safe to Gracie or Chin to Malia." I said.

"Well, then all we can do for him now is give him a reason to keep fighting." She said as she straightened her spine.

"Somehow, I think you are the one he's fighting for." I whispered as I recalled how he had responded to her presence just a few hours ago.

"Then, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure he knows that I'm going to fight for him, too." She said as determination crept over her features.

I'd watched these two dance around each other for months. I knew there was more there than a professional relationship brewing. But getting these two to realize that had proved harder than getting the SuperSEAL to let me drive my own damn car.

This was certainly not the catalyst I had been hoping for, but if he makes it through this…NO, when he makes it through this I'm going to make sure these two finally see how perfect they are for each other.

Then, as that thought stalled in my brain; in walked the biggest obstacle that stood between them, Governor Denning.

"Detective Williams. I expected an update as soon as Commander McGarrett was out of surgery." His voice boomed.

I started to get up to address our overbearing boss, but the tiny little blonde sitting next to me stood up and stepped right up to the imposing man who had hired her in to babysit Steve.

"Yeah, well Governor as you may have noticed Steve isn't out of surgery. As you can see things have not exactly been going so well." She said as she waved her hand in the direction of the bloody sheets and floor that the nurses had been working to clear away.

"My office was told he was out of surgery." He said with a raised brow at her short tone.

"He was, but he had internal bleeding and they had to rush him back to the OR about a half hour ago. This team is dedicated to their job; you need to start trusting that we will keep you informed as soon as we are able. But, at the moment YOU are not the first thing on our minds." Lori all but barked.

I have to say, this tiny little woman was actually staring down the governor who stood at least a foot taller than her if that was possible. And he did not look at all happy about it. I couldn't help thinking that Steve would be really proud of her reaction though.

"I understand that it has been a trying day, but I am still your boss and YOU still have a job to do!" He bellowed expecting her to tuck her tail between her legs. The look of shock at her next response was comical.

"I AM doing my job! I have never put anything ahead of doing my job, but I am also human and right now someone I care about is fighting for his life. So, I won't stand here and apologize for not running to heel at your command. If you want to relieve me of my duty, then do it! If not, we will make sure to keep you informed of any changes. I will continue to do the job you asked of me, but Steve is laying in that OR because he took a bullet for ME. So, from now on you need to accept that the only reason I am able to do this job is because of him." She said as she turned and left the room.

"Well, I think I will go back to the office. I trust you will be sure to inform me when Commander McGarrett is out of surgery." He said.

"Oh, I think Ms. Weston was pretty clear on that, sir." I answered as I turned and left the room as well.

I paced the halls looking for Lori and finally found her sitting on the floor in one of the waiting areas with her head resting against her knees.

"So, I guess you told him." I said. I wanted to laugh, but I couldn't gauge her mood with her head down.

She looked up at me for a moment before she let out the biggest laugh I'd heard come out of her tiny body in all the time that I'd known her. And then I really couldn't contain my laughter a second longer.

"Did you see his face?" I asked her.

"Yeah. I think I might have just handed over my job." She said as she laughed again. "The funny thing is, I really don't care."

"No. I think you just earned a little respect though. You should have seen him when you turned your back on him. I saw a little bit of a smirk there." I told her as I put my arm around her.

"Kono and Chin were laughing out loud before the Governor even got out of the room. I wish Steve could have heard you. I think he might have kissed you for your unrelenting defense of our team." I said.

I smiled as I watched that pretty blush paint across her features.

"It felt pretty good." She smiled.

"See, you are just as fearless as Steve is. Who does that? I mean you just handed the Governor his own ass. Gah, I can't wait to tell Steve about that." I said as I thought about his reaction.

"Maybe we should head back and see how he's doing." She whispered as she stood up and reached out a hand to help me up.

"Okay, but I get to tell Steve about you yelling at the Governor!" I laughed as I leaned in and kissed her cheek.

She slugged me in the chest before she relented and said, "Fine."

As we rounded the corner, we saw the Doctor Hathaway come through the double doors at the end of the hall.

"Detective Williams, Agent Weston. I was just coming to find you and your team." He said.

As we moved into the room with Kono and Chin the Doctor pulled the cap from his head and turned to address us. "Well, Steve made it through the surgery. We managed to control the bleeding. The best we can tell a few of the sutures pulled out when he woke up. He is stable, but critical at this time. We have opted to put him in a medically induced coma to help him get through the worst of the pain and trauma. We'll start to dial back the medication in 24 to 48 hours."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"Well, he will most likely still be aware on some level of what is going on around him. However, it will allow us to manage his pain and keep him quiet in order to help jump start the healing process and hopefully avoid any additional bleeding."

Lori breathed out the breath she'd been holding. "Can we see him? Sit with him?"

"Yes. They'll be bringing him back down in about an hour. We are going to move him to a semi private room with another bed, so that you all might be able to get some rest. Ordinarily we would not allow anyone to stay in the room, but it appears that he does better when you are nearby. We'll keep it at one to two visitors for now. We'll have a much better idea of where we are at within 24 hours. Now, if you have any questions or concerns one of the nurses can page myself or another member of our team for you. And they can answer a lot of your questions, too. We're doing everything we can for him." Dr. Hathaway said as he shook our hands and walked back to the nurse's station.

About 20 minutes later, a nurse came to take us to Steve's new room. Chin and Kono went in first to see him before they went home for a few hours and to grab some clothes for Lori and I. As they came out, Lori and I handed our keys to Kono and headed into the room.

I stood on one side of the bed while Lori stood on the other.

"Steve, babe. You really missed out on one heck of an show today. You'd have been so proud. Lori all but read the Governor the riot act. It was quite entertaining. She has quite the mama bear instinct in her."

"No. It wasn't that big of a deal. He just pissed me off a little." She laughed as she stroked his hand.

"It was a big deal. I think the Governor knows she is Five-0 now. I don't think he's really going to buy that her loyalty doesn't lie with us anymore. She even told him to fire her. This woman has some guts. Reminded me a little bit of you, SuperSEAL." I said.

She started to laugh, but was interrupted as she gasped when Steve's fingers closed just the tiniest bit around hers. Tears escaped as she leaned forward and placed a kiss on his forehead and I had to walk away before I joined her with tears of my own. God, how I wanted him to just sit up and laugh with us.

"You're doing great Steve. We'll be right here. Rest now." She whispered as she kissed his knuckles and settled into the chair beside him holding his hand against her cheek.

I walked out of the room to fill in the Governor before we had a repeat performance, but as I left I thought I heard her whisper, "Please stay with me, love."

I couldn't help but hope that her words made it though to him on some level.

When I returned, Lori was sound asleep with her cheek beside his hand on the bed. She looked incredibly uncomfortable, but I suspected there would be bloodshed if I attempted to move her away from Steve.

So, I crawled into the bed and settled in to sleep for a few hours in the hopes that maybe Lori would relinquish her grip and sleep in a few more hours.

* * *

**AN:** Next up we will check in with Steve. See what he's aware of and what he's thinking. I am thinking I will stay in Steve's POV for a few chapters, but we'll see what happens :)

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. I know this is a big departure from my other stories, but I hope that you are enjoying it so far!

Erin


	9. Hope

**I do not own anything related to Hawaii Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.**

This is in Steve's POV. Starting around the time he went back into surgery.

* * *

**SPOV**

Once again I was being pulled away from the voices that gave me comfort. My body was bathed in warmth as what felt like molten lava began to flood my veins again. And the unbearable light that surround me was unstoppable, even though I knew my eyes were closed I could feel it pierce through anyway.

Finally I was shrouded in darkness as calm rushed in and surrounded me in silence. A moment of peace.

"Son, we really need to stop meeting like this. You need to hold on tighter. I know it hurts, but I know there is something worth living for. That pretty girl you've been telling me about, your friends. I know you aren't ready to be here with me. I'm not ready for that." My dad whispered from far away.

"I know dad. I'm trying, but I can't tell where life begins and this place ends anymore. It's confusing." I said.

"The longer you stay here, the harder it will get." He answered.

"How do I know what's real and what's not?"

"Follow your heart. Your brain won't always give you the answer, but the heart never lies." He said as he faded back into the darkness again.

The beeping and whirring machines crept in momentarily before I found myself sitting on the deck outside my bedroom at home. I wanted to soak in the familiar place, but at the same time I knew it was a place of solitude, loneliness.

Then as the breeze picked up I smelled the sweetest scent I'd known. It suddenly surrounded me. Hibiscus and plumeria, a scent that was uniquely Lori. It was always there, but it was strongest when she came in to work first thing in the morning or on the few occasions she used the guest room at my place to shower after a run on the beach. It was clean and subtle, but it was something I could only associate with her.

I spun around and looked in the direction of the wind and there she stood. Stretching her legs against the rail as she prepared to go out for a run. She'd never been upstairs in my house before, but there was something just right about it.

As if something else was guiding my movement, I found myself walking up beside her and reaching my hands out to her calf to help her stretch. The smile she gifted me with warmed every part of my soul. I closed my eyes and held on to that feeling for a moment before I returned my attention to her other calf. It dawned on me that she hadn't said a word as she stood out on the deck.

"Are we going for a run?" I asked.

"That depends, how far are you willing to follow me?" She smiled.

"Until you stop running." I said as she disappeared from my sight.

Quickly there was another shift and I found myself bobbing in the surf next to Gracie.

"Uncle Steve, Danno said that you got hurt. Are you going to be okay?" She questioned.

"Gracie, I'm going to be fine." I answered.

"Danno says you are like Superman without a cape." She laughed.

"Is that so." I laughed.

Then I heard her laugh fade off into the distance, too. It seemed that just when I got used to someone being there they would just disappear.

The next shift had me stuck in that bunker in Korea and the voice that accompanied that venue sent a chill down my spine.

"I wish I'd have known that Ms. Weston was your weakness. Perhaps I could have taken her instead. Maybe I still will." Wo-Fat sneered.

For the first time I found myself focusing hard on the deck outside of my room. I wanted so badly to go back to the place she'd been last.

Instead, I sat on the edge of my bed as the shower ran in the other room. I could hear her humming along to the radio as she rinsed the sun and surf from her skin just a few feet away from me. My heart fluttered as I thought about her on the other side of that door. I thought about how different my life would be with someone like her to come home to. Her scent again hung on the humid air.

What was it about her that drew me? She was obviously a beautiful woman. We had a lot in common. We both ran and enjoyed swimming. We were competitive and extremely focused in most things that we did. And most importantly, she didn't seem to take me too seriously even when I was being a complete ass. Which, I'd been known to do on occasion, especially to her.

As the door opened light burst in around me. I heard Danno talking about her, but I wasn't in my room anymore. He said something about her putting on a show and reading the Governor the riot act. I had to laugh out loud that was something that I truly wished I could see. I knew she was a spitfire, but seeing her take Denning to task would have been surreal. Actually it was kind of hot now that I'm thinking about it.

Then I heard her soft voice and her melodic laughter as she down played the incident. I couldn't see her, but I could almost feel her hand in mine. I reached out with everything I had to hang onto the sound of her laugh, and in that moment I could feel her presence wrapped around me.

I glanced around once again finding myself in my room lying in bed as she moved towards me. She laid a gentle kiss against my forehead and moments later I heard a slight breath of a whisper, "Please stay with me, love."

I closed my eyes and clung to those words as darkness surrounded me, only this time I felt her breath on my skin as I let everything else go. In that moment, I felt only two things. At peace and Loved. I couldn't explain it, I had no idea if what I was experiencing was real or if it was simply a coping mechanism. But, it was something worth holding onto. It was more than I had before. It was hope.

* * *

A couple of REC's for you, be sure to check out **PolkaDottedAngels**' _First Steps_ and **HeavenSpent**'s _Justified_. Both Five-0 Fics. I just started Justified and I'm liking it a lot so far. First Steps was one of the first Five-0 fics I've read and I really like the storyline, I believe both are still works in progress. Anyway, I hope you enjoy them!

SPOV will continue in the next chapter.


	10. Life Line

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

_I glanced around once again finding myself in my room lying in bed as she moved towards me. She laid a gentle kiss against my forehead and moments later I heard a slight breath of a whisper, "Please stay with me, love."_

_I closed my eyes and clung to those words as darkness surrounded me, only this time I felt her breath on my skin as I let everything else go. In that moment, I felt only two things. At peace and Loved._

_I couldn't explain it, I had no idea if what I was experiencing was real or if it was simply a coping mechanism. But, it was something worth holding onto. It was more than I had before. It was hope._

For a long time the peace she surrounded me with held me in it's calming grasp. The stress of the world around me, or lack thereof was of no concern when I could feel her with me.

I could sense Danno, too. But mostly he just made me want to laugh and sadly that brought with it pain, too. But, I so desperately wanted him to explain in great detail how little Lori Weston had lorded over a much larger Governor Denning. That alone was worth a lifetime of pain and would have been even more so if I'd seen it with my own eyes.

At some point, I felt Lori being pulled away from me.

And I heard Danno, as he spoke softly to her, "Sweetheart, you need to get some sleep. Like in an actually bed. It's right over there. You'll still be able to see him and everything." He whispered.

"Mmmm. No Danny. Mmm-fine. I can stay here." She mumbled half awake.

I wanted so badly to reach out to her. To tell her it was okay for her to sleep. I felt the pressure in my head as I tried so hard to reach her. Then suddenly the white light was stabbing my eyes and I could feel tears as they dripped into my hair even as I felt her fighting to maintain her hold.

"Shh, shh. It's okay to let go, sweetheart. Look who's back." He whispered.

I heard as much as I felt the air rush from her lungs as she suddenly became vibrantly awake before my burning eyes. She immediately reached up and switched out the light above me and Danny hit the call button. As far as the first things I had hoped I would see, she was far better than anything I could have hoped for.

"Hi." She whispered with tears in her eyes. "I've never been so happy to see those blue eyes in my life." She said as she placed her warm hands against my face and neck.

"We've missed you babe. You gave us a pretty good scare." Danno said as he smiled down.

"Well, well. I was planning to wean you off the meds at some point today. But, it seems like someone didn't like missing out on the party. I'm just going to take a quick look here, I'm sorry this is going to sting a little, but it will be over quickly." Dr. Hathaway said as he flashed a penlight into my eyes.

"Well hello. I'm Susie. I'm your nurse for the next 5 or 6 hours. It's good to see you awake." She said as she carried a chart over to Dr. Hathaway.

I reached up to the tube in my throat, it burned and I was thirsty. I wanted it out. Dr. Hathaway noticed and said, "That's next on my list, I just want to make sure that you are going to be able to breath on your own before I take it out. It's a whole lot worse if we take it out and have to put it back in, I promise you. Just hold tight for a few more minutes."

After what seemed like an eternity and an endless parade of doctors and specialists, Dr. Hathaway said, "Okay, now when I tell you I want you to breath out as hard as you can. Your probably going to cough and it's going to be uncomfortable for a minute, but just try to hold still. I don't want you to re-open any of your sutures or anything."

I reached for Lori's hand as they laid a towel across my lap and propped my bed up a bit to make the removal a little easier.

"Okay, Lori do me a favor. Just try to help him stay as still as possible if he starts to lean forward just support him so that he doesn't strain too much. And Steve, just try to let me do all the work, okay?"

I nodded in understanding.

"Okay, ready?" He asked.

I looked at him and he said, "Okay, breath out."

He pulled steadily on the tube as I coughed. Lori's hand was pressed against my back as I continued to cough and choke on the air as it filled my lungs. They burned like someone had lit a fire in my chest, but it felt good. Before I even had a chance to ask, Lori was right there with ice chips. The doctor had already told me I couldn't drink anything for a little while just until they were sure I was breathing well enough on my own and stable.

I guess based on their requirements, I had been anything but stable for however long I had been here.

"I don't want you to talk a lot. Nothing more than a whisper, but I'm sure you have some questions. If it started to hurt too much you can write them on the pad of paper next to Lori. Okay?"

"What happened?" I rasped.

"Well son, I can tell you what happened from a clinical perspective. Your friends can probably fill you in on the how later. You were shot just below your right armpit. It was a through and through that exited between your ribcage and your hip on the left side. You were extremely lucky. You have a number of broken ribs, a collapsed lung that we re-inflated and patched up, and you are less a spleen. But, there was no irreparable damage to any vital organs. Considering how the bullet entered, that was nothing short of a miracle." Dr. Hathaway said.

"Next time superman, let the vest take the hit. Okay babe?" Danno said with a smile.

I laughed, but it ended up being more of a cough. However, Lori's hand was once again brushing against my back, which was making it difficult to focus on the coughing.

God, what the hell happened while I was unconscious? Both of us seemed to be in a very different place since I woke up. I was trying to think back on how things had changed so dramatically, but the actual day of the shooting was a complete blank for me. Had something happened between us? Everything just felt so much…..more.

"Oh my god. You're awake!" Kono said as she turned the corner at a near run. Evidently she had seen the flurry of activity outside my doorway and been concerned. Chin wasn't far behind.

"How long have you been awake?" He asked with a smile.

"About an hour and a half." Lori answered.

"Tired." I whispered.

"That's to be expected. You're body has been through a tremendous trauma, blood loss, anesthesia and it's going to take you a while to bounce back. If you feel like you are getting too tired, then you should sleep. In fact over the next few days, I would expect you might be sleeping more than you are awake. So, don't feel like you need to stay awake. I'm sure your friends won't take it too personally if you fall asleep on them." Dr. Hathaway laughed.

"Yeah, we can let you get some sleep if you need to. I know I'd like to catch a shower and I'm sure Lori would like to sleep in a real bed at some point." Danno said.

"Sure. I wouldn't mind a shower either." She smiled.

I looked at her and then over to the chair. "I'm sorry." I whispered as I touched her arm.

"What are you sorry for?" She asked.

"You haven't slept?" I asked.

"I've slept." She answered as she looked at the rather uncomfortable looking chair.

I looked at Danno with a question in my eyes.

"She's slept an hour or so. Here or there." He said in answer to my unspoken question.

"Fine. I'll shower and sleep there." She smiled pointing to the bed beside him.

"Okay, but you can go home if you want to." I told her.

She gave me a terse shake of her head and ended the discussion as she entered the bathroom with the bag that Kono had brought for her.

"It's really good to see you awake boss." Kono said as she leaned down and kissed my cheek.

"Good to see you." I whispered back.

"Had us worried, brah." Chin said as he touched my arm.

"Makes two of us." I smiled as my eyes started to drift closed.

Evidently, Chin and Kono took that as their cue to leave. I heard Danno ask them to stop by the Governor's office with an update before they went in to finish up the paper work for our last case.

"He's likely to be a bit more irritable after yesterday." I heard Danno laugh before they left.

Chin laughed and said, "What you mean after this?" He held up his iphone and I immediately heard laughter from the trio in the doorway.

"If we'd put it on YouTube it would have gone viral no doubt." Kono laughed.

"Send that to my phone would you. I think Superman might get a laugh out of that when he's feeling a little better." Danno said.

After they left, he sat down beside me. "How are you feeling?"

"Probably about as well as can be expected." I answered.

"That bad, huh?" Danno laughed.

"Pretty much." I said.

After a minute or two, I turned to Danno and asked, "What happened? Not what the doctor said…I mean what happened. I feel like something has changed. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing, or maybe I'm just feeling something that is a remnant of a dream."

"Babe, you were shot. I doubt anything is going to feel the same for a while."

"That' not what I mean. Lori. We're different. I think in a good way. But I don't know what changed."

"Everything and nothing. I know, bad answer. The short version is that I don't think that the feelings are anything new, it's just that neither of you are avoiding them or hiding them anymore. The long version is that someone took a shot at her and you, SuperSEAL stepped in front of a bullet for her, whether you remember it or not that is bound to change the bond between the two of you. In a split second, you chose her life over yours. But, as a casual observer I've been watching you two dance around each other since her first day. The sparks were already flying it's only a matter of time until the two of you catch fire."

"I had a dream when I was unconscious that I was too far away. I watched as the bullet pierced through her neck. It felt so real to me. I felt like I was witnessing it first hand. It was so strange, because I could hear both of you in the distance even as it occurred. Sometimes, we talked like you and I are talking right now. When you spoke it felt like it was further away, but with her…I felt her breath on my skin, her hand in mine. I swear I even felt her kiss me once or twice. She kept pulling me back. My dad even told me that she was my lifeline."

"She never left your side. Whatever you felt from her, was probably really happening. But, your dad? You saw your dad?"

"Yeah. Several times. Well, early on I saw him. Later, he would just talk to me and tell me I needed to stop coming back. He told me the longer I stayed with him the harder it would be for me to get back to her. All of it is such a jumbled mess right now." I said as I coughed a couple times. Danno stood up and helped me drink some water.

"You should probably rest. All this talking can wait." Danno said.

I nodded in agreement until the bathroom door opened and Lori walked out. The scent of Hibiscus and Plumeria wafted out on the air and I took a deep breath filling my lungs with her. She came over to me with a damp towel in her hand and gently pressed it to my forehead and neck.

"I'm just going to take a shower." I heard Danno say off in the distance.

It felt beyond good to have her hands against my skin even with the washcloth as a barrier. It was the gesture more than anything. But, it felt especially good as she rubbed the warm cloth against my aching neck. When the cloth had cooled, she set it on the stand beside the bed and I grasped her hand holding it against my neck instead. The warmth was comforting, and her touch made every part of me feel alive.

I couldn't begin to explain the bond that coursed between us now, but I also couldn't be bothered to care. As my eyes began to drift closed, I felt her hand against my forehead as she whispered, "Sleep well."

A moment later I could have sworn I felt her lips brush feather light across mine before she moved over to the bed next to mine.

I woke up a while later and glanced over to see her sleeping fitfully a few feet away. I felt relief knowing she was nearby. Danno was in the hallway on the phone when I looked out. He walked in and said quietly, "I'm going to go pick Gracie up and take her to dinner. Are you going to be okay for a bit?"

"Yeah. I'm good. Will you bring Gracie by tomorrow?" I asked.

"Sure. She was trying to talk me into bringing her tonight, but I thought maybe one more day would be good." He said.

"You should sleep at home tonight. In a real bed."

"You forget I have a pull out couch."

"Then sleep at my place. You have keys and the guest room has a real bed and a bathroom that doesn't have cracked tile."

"Wow, even after you get shot you're still giving me crap about my apartment."

I just smiled and closed my eyes.

"Sleep well. Have Lori call me if you need anything. I'll even bring you some pajama pants when I come back."

"K." I said as I was drifting off to sleep.

"It's so good to hear your voice again. Don't ever scare me like that again, okay?" He whispered as he touched my forehead.

The next time I woke up it was pitch black. My heart started to race as I waited to see who would turn up this time. I could hear the ping of the monitors then and before the panic could build, I felt the bed dip as Lori leaned in and whispered, "I'm right here. You're doing just fine."

Her hand brushing the hair from my forehead as she spoke again, "Tell me what happened."

"I just woke up and I couldn't hear anything. I couldn't feel you or Danno. I felt alone again. I thought maybe waking up earlier had been a delusion." I said as I shook with anxiety.

"It's okay. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." She said as she ran her hands over my arms trying to absorb the shivers that coursed through me.

"C-cold." I whispered.

"Hold on." She said as she stepped back into the shadows. She returned with the blankets from her bed and said, "Can you scoot over a little bit?"

I nodded and very carefully scooted to my right. I thought she was planning to sit beside me until I fell asleep. But then, I felt the warmth of her body as she crawled into the bed next to me. She pulled the blankets up around our shoulders and pressed her lips to the side of my neck.

"I'll be right here. I promise." She whispered.

I shivered again as her warmth began to envelope me and she asked, "Are you okay?"

"Mmmm. Better than okay." I whispered as I tucked her closer to my left side.

I was sore as hell, but I needed something to hang onto. I needed her.

* * *

Dr. Hathaway stopped by on his way home for the night to check on his patient. He started to head for the door when Susie stopped him. "Dr. Hathaway, Steve woke up about two hours ago with an elevated heart rate and signs of anxiety."

"Why didn't you call me. We should be giving him something to keep him calm."

"Well, we were about to call you when, uh. Well, why don't you just take a look." She said with a smile as she pointed towards Steve's room.

He hit the switch for the backsplash lighting to come up and saw what the nurses were all smiling about. Evidently, Lori had woken up to his rising panic and he'd found all the calm he needed in her. She was currently nestled up against his left side with the blankets from the other bed wrapped around the two of them. His hand was resting against her back as he held her to his side like a lifeline. Something Dr. Hathaway was beginning to get used to.

"As long as he stays calm, I'm okay with this development. However, if he shows any signs of increased pain or stress I want you to page me, or Dr. Caldwell. But, for now, I think he has exactly what he needs."

The nurses all smiled on as Dr. Hathaway switched off the lights once again and headed home for the rest of the night.


	11. Deja Vu

**I do not own Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.**

There is a little bombshell at the end. You've been warned...and a little tiny bit of fluff :)**  
**

* * *

**DPOV**

The sun was streaming in through the shaded window early the next morning as I rounded the corner. I had spent the night at Steve's place the previous night and was desperate to see my friend after feeling the emptiness in his home without him.

As I entered the room I noticed the curtain had been pulled around Steve's bed and Lori was nowhere to be found. It was clear that the other bed had been slept in at some point, but it sat empty now and the bathroom door was open.

"Where is Agent Weston?" I asked the nurse on duty.

The nurse smiled and led me into the room as she gently pulled back the curtain that surrounded Steve's bed. What I saw brought a smile of relief to his face.

I saw Steve sleeping peacefully with his left arm draped over Lori. Her hand rested over his heart as her cheek was pressed to his shoulder.

The scene before me was not what I expected at all. I followed the nurse back out to the station and asked, "When did that happen?"

"Sometime before my shift. I was told Steve woke up in the middle of the night in a panic and the alarms started to go off. Before any of the nurses made it into the room, Lori sat beside him to calm him down. He did almost instantly. When she got up to get the blankets from her bed, she told Susie that he'd woken up thinking he was still in the coma and panicked. She crawled into the bed with him then and they've both been sleeping quietly ever since." The nurse stated.

"That's good. I think they both could use the rest."

"Yeah, apparently Dr. Hathaway stopped by later last night and told the nurses it was fine as long as he didn't show signs of distress. I'm Allie by the way. I'll be Steve's Nurse until 3pm today, if you need anything."

"Thanks Allie. I'm Detective Danny Williams." I told her.

"You can go ahead and sit with them. I'm sure they'll wake up soon."

I glanced at my watch and noticed that it was just before 7. I quietly walked into the room and sat down in the recliner beside Steve's bed. I was reading a magazine when I heard Steve stretching out and pull Lori in closer to his side. I felt like an intruder when I watched him turn and kiss her forehead.

**SPOV**

When I woke up, the sun was shining in through the curtains, I hadn't opened my eyes yet but I could feel its warmth. And everything felt lighter than it had in ages. I doubt it was getting shot that lifted the weight I had heaped onto my own shoulders as much as it was the beautiful woman warming my side. I was a little bit afraid to open my eyes just yet; as I feared when I did she wouldn't be there.

Throughout the night, my dreams were of the life that we could have. The life that I hadn't realized I wanted or needed. Filled with first dates, first kisses, love, marriage, kids and everything in between. And they all centered on this woman who I had worked so hard not to notice for the last 12 months.

I honestly think that my injuries just may have knocked loose the wall I had so carefully constructed around my heart, as even my memories of the time I've spent with Lori felt different to me. I find my memories now focused less on what her presence meant to our team and Governor Denning and more on how sweet it had been to hear her laugh, or watch the determination bloom as we raced down the beach or we chased down a lead. They were things that had always been there, and clearly I had noticed them but some part of me wouldn't allow that to affect my heart.

I stretched carefully and allowed my arm to pull her more securely to my side. As I attempted to confirm her presence, I couldn't help turning my head to fill my lungs with the scent that could only be Lori. I even allowed my lips to ghost over her forehead as I reveled in the comfort her embrace offered.

"Mmmm, good morning." I mumbled.

The voice that answered didn't have nearly the melodic tone I was anticipating.

"Good Morning to you, too. Romeo." Danno said with a smile as my eyes popped open.

Lori continued to sleep as her hand moved down to rest over my stomach and her nose skimmed over my neck, which had to feel like sandpaper. I realized in that moment that I hadn't looked in the mirror, showered or shaved in….

"How long have I been in here?" I asked Danno quietly.

"Almost 5 days. Why?" He asked.

"I bet I look awesome."

"Actually you look like crap, babe. But, clearly it hasn't hurt your appeal with the ladies. You should see how the nurses look at you. It's like you're freaking Justin Beiber, they batted their eyelashes at you when you were in a coma even."

"I don't care about any of that." I said as I ran a hand over my jaw and then glanced down at Lori.

"No, I suppose you don't. In fact, you never did. In all the years we've worked together, I never once saw you even pretend to notice the attention that women give you. Except this one." He said as he pointed to Lori.

"She never acted like most of those girls." I said.

"No. I suppose not." Danno said.

"I don't even think I realized what I was doing when I pushed her out of the way, but I just couldn't let her get hurt. And it wasn't because I'm responsible, or because I'm some kind of hero. It was because I couldn't imagine getting up in the morning and not seeing her again. It was sort of selfish now that I think about it." I said with a laugh.

"You are the only man on this planet who would step into the path of a bullet and think he was being selfish." Lori laughed as she softly rubbed her hand over my stomach.

I put my right hand on hers to still the movement and groaned in pain as I felt the movement ripple down my right side. Lori sat straight up and stared down at me to gauge my reaction.

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" She asked.

"No! God no! I hurt me. I just moved too fast." I said as I pulled her back against my side. I neglected to mention that I moved too fast to still her movements because it felt way too good.

Danno just laughed as I suspect he had every idea what had caused my abrupt movement.

"I need to shave. Badly. I'm sure I look like a caveman." I said as I once again rubbed along my jaw.

"I can do it." Lori said. But her eyes cast down, as she seemed to realize that might not be such a good idea. "Or, I'm sure one of the nurses could do it, too."

The thought of having her hands on my skin for prolonged periods of time made me close my eyes and shiver just the tiniest bit. Lori swung her legs over the edge of the bed as she got up to go in search of one of the nurses.

While she was gone, I raised the bed to a more upright position and Danno set my shave gel and razor along with my toilet kit on the table. I fished out my toothbrush while Danno grabbed a couple of glasses of water so I could brush my teeth properly. It's amazing how much better you feel after such a simple task.

"Are you afraid she'll cut you?" Danno asked with a knowing smirk.

"No, I'm afraid I'll enjoy it." I said as I rubbed my face.

Just as the conversation ended, Lori came back with a nurse who looked like she'd be better prepared to slit my throat than shave it. I shifted as she set everything down on the table and moved to my side. I looked between the nurse and Lori as I tried to figure out what to do when I heard Danno laugh out loud at my predicament.

"Okay honey, I promise I'll be gentle." The nurse said in a voice that did not calm my shaky nerves.

"If it's okay with you, I would prefer it if Lori could do it." I told the nurse as she threw her hands up.

"No problem. Her you go dear." She said as she handed her the shaving cream and went back to whatever she had been doing before.

"I'll be right back." Lori said.

With that she walked into the bathroom. A minute later Lori returned with two towels. She dropped one in my lap to keep from making a mess and then she took the one that had been soaked in hot water and held it against my jaw for a couple of minutes. I have to admit it felt REALLY good. I closed my eyes and leaned back as she held the towel in place.

"I think I'm going to go make a couple of phone calls." Danno said as he got up to leave the room. I heard the curtain pull closed as he left.

"Feel good?" She asked me.

"So good." I muttered.

After a couple of minutes, she removed the towel and set it aside as she gently smoothed shaving gel over my face and neck. In all of my life, I had never had someone help me shave. I might have given it a try had I known how sensual it could be, but then again I think it may have a lot more to do with the person who was currently sitting in front of me.

Once the shave gel covered my face, she rinsed her hands in the basin the nurse had given her and let the gel sit on my face for a minute while she put a new blade on the razor.

She spent the next few minutes carefully shaving my cheeks, chin and neck and then finished up around my mouth. When she was finished, she walked into the bathroom and returned with a cool towel to rinse away any shave gel that remained and then softly ran her fingers over my skin to assess her work. When she was satisfied, she put a little of my aftershave lotion in her hands and smoothed it over my skin.

She pushed the table aside and knelt in front of me as she leaned in to check her work. I could feel her breath against my cheek as the back of her hand ran across my cheek when she whispered, "How did I do?"

I ran my hands over my cheeks and was astounded to find that she had done about as good a job as I could have done, maybe even better. In that moment I was struck with the urge to rub my cheek against hers, and I couldn't even begin to stop myself as I raised my left hand up against the back of her neck and pulled her close.

She leaned back and smiled at me with her pretty green eyes shining. "Feels pretty good to me." She said in a shaky whisper.

"Me, too." I said as I stared at the smile that played across her lips.

Before I could shutter the thought, I found my lips touching hers. It was just a touch at first. But, then I heard the softest moan escape from her mouth and the flood gates opened. Her hands landed against the mattress beside my head as she leaned into the kiss and my hand eased into the hair at the nape of her neck as I deepened the kiss. We remained like that for a couple of seconds until she finally eased back when both of us were good and breathless.

I watched as her fingers went to her lips and worried as I thought perhaps it was regret that I saw there until the most beautiful smile graced her lips. Her hand rubbed against her lips again and she laughed as she said, "Yep, I did a good job."

I laughed as she smiled back at me. My lungs burned from the little exertion, but I couldn't begin to regret that kiss.

Lori quickly got up and began to clear away the mess. Danny came back a few minutes later carrying a magazine, a couple bottles of water and news that breakfast was on it's way up. He looked between Lori and I several times as he undoubtedly noticed the smile on my face and the pretty blush the covered her cheeks.

"So, I take it Lori knows what she's doing. Look at that baby face." Danno said as he glanced between us again.

"She does." I said as I rubbed my skin again. I don't think I'll ever be able to shave again without thinking about her.

"So, Lori where does one learn how to do such a thing?" He smirked.

Her eyes clouded and the smile left her face as she answered, "My older brother was in the Marines. He was injured after his second tour and when he was in the hospital, one of the nurses taught me how to do."

"I'm sorry." I said as I reached out to touch her hand.

"How come this is the first we've heard about a brother?" Danno asked.

I had tried to stop Danno as I shook my head, but he was watching Lori as he asked the question.

In that moment, I remembered everything I read in her file when she had started with Five-0. I wanted so badly to pull her into my arms as I waited for her to respond.

"Sean died four years ago. His team was ambushed. He was the only survivor. I flew to Germany to stay with him after he was airlifted out, but he'd suffered two strokes due to the blood loss and slipped into a coma. A couple of weeks later, he suffered a third stroke that left him brain dead. We'd discussed his wishes when he'd gone on his first tour, but signing the papers for organ donation was still among the most difficult things I've ever had to do. It meant I had to accept that he was gone, too. That I was alone in the world."

Her voice sounded hollow as she spoke and her eyes never left the floor. I'd known all of this already and it still tore at my heart to hear the words leave her mouth. I pulled on the hand that I held until she sat on the bed beside me and laid her head on my shoulder. She didn't cry, but I could feel her heartbreak all the same. She'd lost her parents at 17 in a plane crash, so Sean had truly been the only family she had left. I was the only one who'd known she had a brother, and that wasn't my story to tell. Besides the fact that I'd come by that knowledge looking at her NSA file.

"I'm so sorry Lori. I had no idea." Danno said quietly as he sat down and put his forehead to his palm.

"You're not alone in this world." I whispered. "You'll never be alone."

I felt her nod as the tears began to fall silently against my neck. In that moment, I realized that she had been forced to relive her brother's death all over again through me. Our injuries were different, but I'd also suffered blood loss that could have resulted in a stroke. I was in a coma and I just as easily could have ended up sharing the same fate as her brother.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart. So, so sorry that you felt alone in the world but you have a family here now for as long as you'll put up with us." Danno said.

"I'm glad you feel that way." She whispered, "Because I don't think I could let go of you all if I wanted to."

I rubbed her back as she leaned on me until her tears subsided. After several minutes, both of us had fallen asleep. Apparently, breakfast would have to wait.

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I have nothing to say other than the next chapter should go up tonight or tomorrow :) Erin


	12. True North

**I do not own Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.**

This chapter is short, but it is a moment when realization breaks across their conscious thought. I didn't want to dilute the moment as it seemed like it wanted to stand on its own :)

E

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**DPOV**

As soon as I realized the pair had fallen asleep, I stepped out into the hallway to find Allie so that they could hold off on breakfast until Steve woke up.

I was still in shock over the information Lori had shared about her brother. I had known her parents died in a plane crash when she was a teenager, but she'd never spoken of her brother. Looking back on the events of the past week, I started to see how similar Steve's experience had been to her brothers. My stomach churned as I realized how stressful this must have been for her as she was forced to not only relive the experience but also reopen all of those wounds.

It was no wonder these two have been so drawn to one another. They'd each suffered innumerable losses, both as teenagers and as adults. There were so many parallels in their lives from the losses to the military backgrounds and law enforcement. They each understood the pain the other carried on a level that no one else could and that was pretty powerful. It was a connection I couldn't make with Steve, but I could see now that Lori did.

I stood in the doorway and watched as the pair slept. Lori was sitting to Steve's left with her legs draped over his, her head against his shoulder and her hand lay gently over his right shoulder.

"How long have they been together?" Allie whispered as she stood beside me in the doorway.

"Actually, they've never been together."

"Really? They seem like they'd be inseparable." She smiled.

"Well, in some ways they are. They are good friends. But, because of our jobs, his job specifically relationships can get a bit messy. Not to mention they've both been through a lot. Enough to make them both a little leery of relationships and love."

"Love is always worth the risk." She said.

"I think they are starting to realize that."

SPOV

Emotionally drained didn't even begin to describe how I was feeling. My heart and head had run the gamut from fear, despair, pain, exhaustion, and pure elation. The need to just shut down was overwhelming, but there was one thing that I just wasn't willing to close off from anymore. Love. It was that thought that made my mind flutter into wakefulness.

I'd never really gone looking for love. It wasn't something that I believed in because I had grown up in a military academy after my mother had been murdered. I had no real relationships that could breed the hope typically required to fall in love. And over the years, I'd decided that I was basically a selfish man.

But now as I lay in this bed, cradling this woman in my arms I realize that love isn't something that you give or accept, it just is. There is nothing selfish about it.

Sure, I'd gone through the motions a time or two in my life. And some of the women in my past were even deserving of my love, but today I realized it was never really mine to give away. You can't love someone strictly because you want to, or because they want you to. But, lord knows life would be so much easier if you could. It is not a gift you can bestow upon another human being. It is something that is alive and vibrant and courses through every cell of your being. When it's there it's like a powerful magnet, but in it's absence there is no lie big enough to hide what isn't there.

In this moment, the truth is that I don't know how it happened. I have no idea how long my heart has known what my head would not allow me to see, but what I am feeling is without a doubt, undeniably love. And it probably has been from the first second I'd laid eyes on Lori Weston. My head has just been better at ignoring what my heart couldn't possibly deny.

So, now I am faced with the dilemma of telling her that I love her before we even have our first date, or trying to keep my feelings to myself until we've both have the time to process everything that's happened. And have that crucial first date. There were a lot of firsts that we had yet to experience together.

For now, I decided that I could just enjoy her company and focus on my recovery. But, the words would hang on the tip of my tongue until I released them into the world.

LPOV

Sleep had claimed me quickly. But as I thought about all that had transpired in the last hour my thoughts made me restless. For the first time in four years, I told someone how I came to be alone in this world. And for the first time in as many years, I realized that I was no longer alone. As the words slipped from Steve's lips, it dawned on me that he meant every word he said. As that acceptance washed over me, it drained every ounce of energy I had been clinging to.

Suddenly, after all these years of protecting my heart in a little glass box I had a family again. There was no blood relation, but the love was there all the same. Kono, Chin and Danny were like siblings. And Steve, well I hadn't quite figured out what he was but for the first time in my adult life I felt like maybe, just maybe I could find real love.

Perhaps even in the arms of Steve McGarrett. If you'd have asked me about that possibility 12 hours ago, I might have laughed in your face, but now with the way he was looking at me, there isn't a woman on this earth that wouldn't want to be viewed like that.

"What?" I whispered as I met his ocean blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, what?" He whispered as he tried to shake off whatever he was feeling.

"You're staring."

"It can't be helped. All the time that I was dreaming, I spent every shred of my energy trying to get back to you. And, now that I have you right here I'm having a hard time taking my eyes off of you. For some reason every part of me knew on some level that you were the one thing I had to cling to. That you would keep me where I needed to be." He whispered against my neck.

"Your true north?" I asked him.

"Yeah. I think so. When did you turn into such a romantic?" He asked with a bright smile that lit up his eyes like a night sky with a full moon overhead.

"Somewhere between a close shave and a kiss." I whispered as I rubbed my thumb over his lower lip.

"To which close shave are you referring?"

I laid my hand on his chest and whispered, "This one," against his ear. "I watched the whole thing play out and the only thing that flashed across my consciousness was 'please don't take him, too'. I can't lose another person that I l…." My hand flew to my mouth as the word almost fell from my lips, but just as quickly his thumb brushed against my lip almost as if he could free the word I couldn't say. Not yet.

In that moment, I felt the hands of the loved ones we'd both lost had shifted our lives from two lines that ran in parallel to two lines that were about to collide. And it was a crash that both of us would welcome.


	13. A Little Scare

**I do not own anything related to Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.**

This entire chapter is in** SPOV  
**

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After Breakfast, Lori went home for a few hours and left me with Danno. Ordinarily, that wouldn't be a problem except for two things.

First, every fiber of my being missed her even though I knew she would be back in a couple of hours, and second Danno would not shut up about it. I even closed my eyes a few times in the hopes that sleep would take over and bring me a moment of peace.

But, that's not what happened.

"So, Steven. Let's talk about this thing that you have going on here."

"What thing Danno? I do not have a thing." I said fully aware that aneurysm face was about to make an appearance.

"This thing that is blossoming between you and that pretty little girl that you've had wrapped around you for the last 16 hours." He smirked.

"We were close before." I said.

"No...You were friendly before. This looks like a whole different type of 'friendship' blooming. I mean seriously, when she finished with this pretty face," he said as he rubbed a hand across my cheek, "your eyes followed her ever move. You looked like you wanted to devour her."

"Come on it go."

"What? I mean it's obvious that there is some serious chemistry there. I mean I come into the room and part of me is wondering if I should leave you two alone and then I remember where we are. Don't get me wrong, it's good to see the great Steve McGarrett can be swayed by a beautiful woman. And god knows Lori can handle you. I think it's a good thing." He said as he sat back down.

"You do?"

"Yeah, I do. You guys have a lot in common, and you both have some baggage that might be difficult for someone else to understand. I always thought you two would be good together and after her revelation about her brother, I'm even more certain of it. Plus, she looks at you like you are the only man on this planet. And I'm not sure if your aware of this, but women follow you like you're the pied piper and she is the only woman I've seen you even give a second glance to in all the years that I've known you. I was beginning to think you were a monk." Danno said.

"She's different. I wanted to keep my distance. I've tried. But, now after this I don't think I want to anymore. She's the reason I'm still here. And after this morning, I don't think I could stay away from her if I wanted to. Seriously, she's been gone for 20 minutes and I can't help looking at the clock wondering how long she's been gone."

"I noticed." He said. "Wait a minute, what happened this morning?"

"I kissed her."

"I knew there was something more to her scurrying around when I came back in here! You were looking at her like a predator that has spotted his next meal and she was fifteen shades of pink! Did she kiss you back?"

"Oh yes, she definitely kissed me back." I whispered.

"I happy for you, babe. For both of you." Danno said.

"Me, too."

"I think that smile that has been on your face since this morning looks good on you. I didn't think you had it in you to smile like this." Danno laughed.

"That makes two of us. I used to feel this way after we'd go running or surf or whatever. But, I always thought it was endorphins from expended energy or adrenaline. I guess that was just the lie I told myself so I could spend more time with her. I told myself a relationship with a co-worker was inappropriate, so I drew the line in the sand. It's sad to think that if this hadn't happened I might have missed out."

"And what about now? I think it's safe to say you are standing on the other side of the line in the sand." Danno said.

"I think I rubbed out the line in the sand and then sprinted another 30 yards away from it. I don't know, I guess we'll have to talk about that. I don't suppose Governor Denning is going to be too thrilled by this." I said.

"The important question is do you care?" Danno asked.

"No. I really don't."

"Speaking of Governor Denning." Danno said with a smile as he reached for his phone.

I looked at him confused as to why he was handing me his phone, calling the Governor was not high on my list of priorities. But then the attachment loaded and I saw the 5' 3" blonde who was capturing my heart more and more by the second bellowing at our boss who stood at least a foot taller than her.

She never once faltered as she went head on with Denning. Even when he stepped into her space and threatened her job, she held her ground and basically dared him to fire her. She had defended me. And it was pretty hot.

"You okay there, babe? You look a little flushed." Danno said.

"Damn, I think I'm in love. How long has she been gone?" I asked.

"About an hour." He said as he laughed out loud.

I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself. It had only been an hour and I was missing her as if it had been days. But, before I had too much time to worry about it Dr. Hathaway came into the room.

"Good afternoon Steve. I wanted to come by and check out your incisions. How are you feeling today?" He asked.

"Actually pretty good. Sore, but you'd probably be more worried if I wasn't." I laughed.

"Yeah, I'd think you were lying." Dr. Hathaway smiled. "I stopped by to check on you last night, but you were sleeping. Seemed you were quite happy, too."

Steve smiled as he realized Dr. Hathaway must have seen Lori in his bed last night.

"Alright, let's get that gown off. " He said as I pulled the snaps at the shoulders.

"Any chance I can get a shower today? Or can I still not get all of this wet." I asked hopefully.

"Well, let me get a look, and we'll see how steady you are on your feet afterwards. I can put a waterproof dressing on them if they look good, but you may not be feeling quite as ambitious after I've poked at your incisions for a bit." He said.

Danno actually laughed and said, "You don't know him very well. If he sets his mind to doing something, 10 times out of 10 he's going to do it."

"Well, we'll see." Dr. Hathaway said.

Once the gown was down around my waist Dr. Hathaway went about pulling the tape from the bandages. In that moment, I was really glad that I was not a hairy man, because that stung. Once the bandages were removed, I glanced down at the two large incisions. One traveled from the middle of my side around to about half way to my navel, while the other one started under my armpit and traveled around my back. I was amazed that I felt as good as I did now that I'd seen the damage.

I looked up at Danny and noticed he was looking a little pale.

"You doing okay Danno?" I asked.

"Nope, not really. I think I preferred deluding myself into thinking you just had a couple of stitches. This," he said waving his hands in a gesture to my wounds, "is kind of destroying that delusion."

I sat still as Dr. Hathaway poked and prodded the incisions. Once he was satisfied, he treated them with an antibiotic ointment and replaced the bandages with a waterproof film.

"Well, son. Everything looks pretty good. I'd like to get you up and moving around and see how steady you are before I go ahead and approve a shower, and of course someone is going to have to stick close by in case you need assistance. I'm sure that won't be needed, but just in case. Wouldn't want you falling and tearing one of these open after all." He said.

He helped me re-snap the gown and had me stand beside the bed. I actually didn't feel that bad. I walked around the room for a minute so leaning on the IV pole before he finally agreed to let me take a quick shower.

"I'll send a nurse in to get unhook the IV line, we'll leave one so we can keep giving you fluids and antibiotics, but we can unhook it so you don't have to worry about getting tangled up. And, I'm sure you'll be happy to get rid of the catheter." Dr. Hathaway said.

"Um, Yeah. That's an understatement." I said.

About 20 minutes later, the nurse left the room after having removed two IV lines, my catheter and unhooking the third IV line so I could take a shower. I'd never been so happy about a shower in my whole life.

Danny got up and turned on the shower and set my bag with soap, shampoo and my toilet kit on the counter next to the sink. Then he came back and helped me into the bathroom.

The nurse came back and asked us if we wanted her to stick around in case I needed help.

"That's okay. I'm going to stay right here. I can get him if he needs help." Danno said.

"Okay, well here is a fresh gown and we'll change the sheets while you are out of bed. There's a call button next to the shower just in case." She said as she headed out.

I stepped under the hot spray and leaned my arms against the wall for a minute as I let the heat wrap around my muscles.

About fifteen minutes later I heard a loud noise and then the bathroom door swung open. I pulled the curtain back to see what was happening and came face to face with Lori who promptly threw her arms around me.

"Oh thank god!" She whispered before she pulled me in for a kiss.

"I thought something was wrong." She said as she kissed me again. "When I came in and you weren't in the bed and Danny was nowhere to be seen, I just panicked."

I couldn't say anything, as this beautiful woman was currently standing pressed up against my very naked body kissing me senseless. It was taking every ounce of energy I had not to do something about it.

"Oh my god, I'm…so….god you're beautiful." She whispered as she started to back away.

As she started to turn, I let my fingers brush over her neck and pulled her in for one more kiss. And that's when Danno walked in.

"Oh shit. I think you're doing just fine. Lori, I um...you dropped this. Yeah, I'm just going to, um just go out there…" Danno said as he left the bathroom.

I laughed and Lori stood there in a bit of a daze as her fingers traced her lips.

"If you keep doing that I'm going to have to kiss you again." I whispered.

"Right, sorry. I, um...uh, I ran by your place and brought you a couple of t-shirts and pajama pants." She said as she pointed to the bag. "I'm just going to…" She said as she set the clothes on the counter and backed out of the bathroom.

I heard Danno say, "So, that went well." You could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Shut it, Danny." She laughed.

I rinsed off with colder water this time. Not that it did anything to help since I knew that she was sitting just outside that door. God there had to be something wrong with me, because less than a week after getting shot I'm thinking about something that is not even remotely close to healing. At least not any kind of healing a doctor would prescribe. Marvin Gaye would approve though.

After I dried off, I sat on the stool by the sink and put on the pants Lori had brought for me. I have to say it is a marked improvement over the backless gown. I stood up and brushed my teeth and looked at my reflection. I looked like hell; it was a wonder she even wanted to kiss me. My eyes were bloodshot, there was deep bruising under both eyes most likely from all the strain, and I looked a shade more pale than the sheets on the bed. It was not pretty. Then I took a good look at the incisions. The one on the left I could see, but the one on my back was shocking. Even through the clear film, I could see dozens of staples and the angry red color of the skin around it. Amazing that one tiny bullet could do all of that.

I reached for the t-shirt, but I was having difficulty getting it over my head as raising my arms was beyond painful. So, I opened the door and said, "Would you mind?" as I held out the t-shirt.

Lori stepped over and took the shirt.

"Hold your arms in front of you. Good just like that." She said as I did as she asked.

She then proceeded to push the shirt up my arms and then eased it over my head without me having to raise my arms. As she pulled the shirt down her hands skimmed over my abs smoothing it down as she went.

"Better?" She asked.

I nodded as she helped me get back in bed. Danny sat in the corner shaking his head.

"Mind if I steal one of your other shirts." Lori asked as I looked down to see hers was completely soaked.

"No. Go ahead." I said as I watched her disappear into the bathroom. I turned my focus back to Danno only to see him staring at me with a knowing smirk.

"What?" I asked him.

"Nothing, I'm just happy to see you let someone, anyone really take care of you. I bet that scene in the bathroom isn't going to make sleep any easier though. I'm pretty sure that moment will replay itself in your dreams."

"Danno, that scene is replaying itself right now. I'm fairly certain it's going to stay with me for a good long while."

A few minutes later, Kono and Chin turned up with several bags from one of my favorite places 808 Deli. My mouth started to water instantly.

"Danny called us a little while ago. He said Dr. Hathaway was going to let you have real food. So, we stopped and got you something for lunch." Chin said.

"Is that where you were when I got here?" Lori said.

"Yeah, he was doing fine, so I went down the hall to call them." Danno said as he laughed.

When Chin and Kono looked at Lori she explained, "I kind of freaked out when I got here and Steve wasn't in the bed. Danno was no where to be found."

"Yeah, so she busted in on Steve's shower." Danno laughed.

"Hey, I was scared that something happened." She said as her blush deepened.

"What if it had been me?" Danno asked.

Lori just blushed and said, "It wasn't."

"For the record, I would much prefer this one busting in on my shower over Danno or one of the nurses." I said as I smiled at her.

"Well, it didn't seem to phase you much." Kono laughed. "You look much better after a shower and a shave."

"Thanks man. So what did you bring me for lunch? The spicy tuna sandwich maybe?" I asked feeling hopeful.

"Yeah, but we asked them to leave off the extra jalapenos since we figured super spicy wouldn't be the best thing right now. Sorry Brah." Chin added.

"Anything is better than hospital food. I appreciate it."

Lori sat on the foot of my bed, and the rest of the group took the chairs while we all ate in near silence. I noticed Lori glancing in my direction several times and it was hard not to stare at her, too. Not twenty minutes ago she had been pressed up against my naked body, it was going to be really hard not to think about that.

Chin and Kono left a short time after we finished up lunch. Danno wasn't far behind as he was headed out to pick up Gracie from school. They had planned to come by later with Dinner, so it was just Lori and I until then.

"Well, I brought my computer and a couple of DVD's if you want. Unless you want to sleep." She said.

"How about we put on a movie and if I fall asleep, then I fall asleep."

She smiled and walked across the room to get her computer. When she returned she handed me 3 netflix envelopes.

"What do you have?" I asked.

"Don't know. They just came today." She smiled.

I opened the envelopes and looked at my choices. "Moneyball, I heard that's really good. Drive, haven't seen it yet either. Tower Heist, Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy can't go wrong there. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I read the book this one is dark and um full of sex." I said. She blushed.

"Maybe when I get out of here." I smiled. "How about Tower Heist?"

"Sounds good to me." She said as she set the laptop on the table and moved it in front of me on the bed. She walked over and shut off the lights and then pulled the curtain and the blinds and closed the door so we didn't disturb any of the other patients. When she started to move the chair over next to the bed I couldn't help the frown that fell across my lips.

"Please, come here." I said as I lift the blankets and made room for her at my side.

She looked at me for a minute and then crawled into bed with me. I swear we could have been watching full on porn and I wouldn't have noticed as I spent almost the entire movie watching the woman beside me laugh and enjoy the movie.

Okay, so I probably would have noticed that, but I still would have spent the time watching her. When the movie finished, I pulled her against my side and wrapped my arm around her as we both fell asleep.


	14. Under Pressure

**I do not own anything Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.**

Lanteaddicted, I thought I'd give you Gracie here since I finished the last chapter of Stolen Moments before you posted your request :) I hope you enjoy!

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An hour later, Steve woke to find Lori asleep with an arm slung across his chest and her leg resting between his. He had thought that it was a dream until she shifted ever so slightly and his entire body went on high alert.

"Uncle Steve! Uncle Steve!" He heard Gracie say as she ran into the room with big tears in her eyes.

Lori woke up and shifted away from him almost immediately and the loss was palpable.

"Hey Gracie! I'm so glad to see you! I feel so much better now that you're here!" I said as she climbed onto the bed.

"Careful Gracie. Remember Uncle Steve is hurting." Danny said.

"I know Danno." She said as she carefully climbed up beside him and gave him a hug. "Hi Lori."

"Hi Gracie. How was Soccer practice?" Lori asked.

"It was awesome, I scored two goals. Our first game is in two weeks, maybe you and Uncle Steve can come watch?" She asked hopefully.

"Well, if Uncle Steve is doing better, I'm sure he'd love to come see you play! Me, too." Lori said.

I smiled and asked, "How is school sweetheart?"

"School is good, but it's been really hard to concentrate. I've been so worried about you. I asked Danno every day to bring me here, but he kept saying you were too sick. But, you look pretty good to me."

"Well Gracie, I was pretty sick. I've gotten a lot better in the last two days. But, I still get really tired, really fast."

"Do you have big scars?" She asked.

"Yeah, they're pretty big. I only just saw them for the first time today." I said.

"Can I see?" She asked.

"The all kind of bandaged up. But the look pretty gross." I laughed.

"Cool." Gracie said. "We brought you dinner. Are you hungry?"

"Starving!" I answered. I really was hungry and I had a pretty good idea what they brought which wasn't helping matters.

"Danno said this is your favorite 'junk' food." Gracie said as she set the bag on the table in front of Steve.

Lori leaned over to reach into the bag and smiled as saw what they brought. "You went to Ultimate Burger? That's my favorite, too."

"Gracie, you are officially my hero." I said as Lori pulled out their fresh cut fries and house made aioli followed by an ultimate cheeseburger with grilled pineapple. I was shocked when Danno didn't make a single comment on the presence of pineapple.

"I told them it was for you two. Evidently, SuperSEAL over here does have one vice in terms of junk food. And it's ultimate burger." Danno laughed.

"Hey man, there is nothing wrong with a burger now and again. I have issues with you eating malasadas everyday, cause those things will kill you." I laughed.

"But they're so good, and they're perfect with coffee." Danno argued.

"We can agree to disagree there, okay Danno. So, how about you Gracie, are you a fan of ultimate burger?" I asked.

"I am now." She said as she munched on some fries, "My mom doesn't let me go there, but she said Danno could take me since it was your favorite. She also told me to give you a hug and a kiss and to tell you that she would come see you in a few days when you're up for more visitors."

"Tell her thank you and that I would like that." I said as he gave Gracie a hug and a kiss.

"I missed you Uncle Steve." Gracie said.

"I missed you, too." I said as I got a little choked up. I'd never thought I was much of a kid person, but this little girl changed my perspective in about 3 seconds flat. I couldn't imagine life without her from the moment we'd first met.

"Come on Monkey, Danno's promised Mommy that we'd be home by 9 and Uncle Steve needs to get some sleep." Danno said.

"Okay, love you Uncle Steve." The little girl said as she crawled over to steal one more hug and kiss.

"I love you, too Gracie." Steve said as he kissed her cheeks.

"Love you brother." Danno said as he pulled Steve in for a hug.

"Love you, too."

"You take care of him now. Call me if you need anything. I'll be back in a few hours so G rate it for me, okay?" Danno said as he winked at the pair as they left the room.

'I swear. What exactly does he think I am going to do in a hospital bed?" I asked as I leaned my head back against the mattress.

"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't expecting to find me groping your naked body in the bathroom earlier." Lori laughed.

"Wait a minute, I was there. There was no groping of any kind. Now, kissing I recall." I said as I pulled her in closer.

"Mmmm. Kissing. Yeah. That was nice." Lori said as she leaned in further allowing our lips to touch gently.

After a minute, Lori allowed her hands to travel gently down my neck rubbing soft circles that elicited a deep guttural groan. Soon, my head is thrown back against the pillows as her hands travel lightly across my shoulders.

"Are you warm enough?" She asked.

"At the moment, I'm bordering on downright hot." I whispered.

My eyes snapped open a second later as I felt her hands against my skin at the hem of my t-shirt. "What are you doing?" I asked breathlessly.

"I want to help you relax and I can't really do that if I can't see what I need to avoid. So, if you get cold or if it hurts, you can have it back." She whispered.

As soon as my shirt is sitting on the end of the bed, Lori reached out to pull the privacy curtain closed and I felt a shiver of anticipation run down my spine. It had been years since anyone managed to get me this unhinged and at the moment I knew for certain that this could only go so far. Yet my body just couldn't be convinced that this wasn't the hottest experience I'd ever had.

As soon as the curtain was in place, Lori turned on the television and went to work on the kinks in my neck and shoulders. She sat directly in front of me as she spoke softly against my neck, "Lean forward so I can work on your shoulders."

As I leaned forward against her shoulder I felt her hand come up and caress the back of my neck and her fingernails drag gently over my scalp. The shiver that skittered up my spine was inevitable, as I tasted the skin between her neck and shoulders in an effort to silence the sounds of my absolute pleasure.

"Oh god, that feels really good." I said as I closed my eyes and absorbed the feeling of her hands on my shoulder blades as she uncoiled the tight knot of muscle there. My hands easily skimmed beneath the hem of her t-shirt at the small of her back as I let my breath steal over her neck.

I thought I was prepared for anything until her fingers traced over the incision that ran across my back with a gentleness that stopped my heart momentarily. With my eyes closed I could feel her hands guiding me back against the pillows as her hands began to work out the tight mass of knots taking up residence in the front of my shoulders.

I opened my eyes and saw the most beautiful sight sitting before me. This tiny blonde with her eyes held closed as if she were the one being touched so gently, her lips parted on a breath that I just had to take. Without a moments hesitation my hands landed against her hips as I pulled her flush against my chest and stealing the breath from both of our lungs.

The sounds of her surprise and ultimately her pleasure fueling my desire to hold her close and feel her desire bloom within her chest.

"Mmmmm, Steve. We should….."

"Stop thinking and just feel what has lingered between us for so long." I whispered as my hands moved to her lower back pulling her hips flush with mine.

"Oh, god. I don't want to hurt you." She whispered against my neck.

"This. You. Are not hurting me." He whispered against my neck.

"Maybe not yet, but we need to stop before I do." She whispered against my neck.

"I know. But, please just don't go anywhere yet." I said as I held her close and leaned back against the pillows.

She smiled brightly as she leaned her forehead against mine and laughed, "You know I'm probably going to have to quit my job."

"Yeah. I heard about that. I have to say, watching you take on Denning so fiercely was incredibly hot." I said with a smirk.

"Wait, how?" She asked.

"Chin felt the need to put his iPhone to good use. Danno showed it to me. Did you know that you are stunning when you're angry?" I asked her.

She cast her eyes down to our hands, so I leaned in to whisper in her ear, "You were fearless. I wish I could have been there."

Her hand traced over the incision on my abdomen as she whispered, "I was never more afraid in my life. I thought I was going to lose you and I hated Denning for making this about him."

"I think he knows that now. He'll get over it, and we'll figure out how to deal with this once I can get out of here. For now, just let me hold you." I said as I kissed her forehead and pulled her against my side.

I could feel the pulse throbbing against my side where she was lying pressed to my to my wound, but her warmth was far more appealing against my skin. Sleep was quick to drag me under. I vaguely recall the words 'I love you' slipping from my consciousness as the world around me was shrouded in darkness once again.


	15. Fever

**I do not own Five-0 and there is no copyright infringement intended.**

Hey all, just wanted to share a story that I am currently addicted to…**Brothers in Arms by SEALTeamSteve**. It is extremely well thought out and written and shares an in depth look of our favorite SEAL and some of the incidents that helped shape him into the SuperSEAL we know and love. All of her stories are as inventive as they are emotionally charged! So check them out!

* * *

Lori woke with a start sometime after Danny had returned to see him asleep in the extra bed. As she settled back against Steve she felt the fire that burned beneath his skin. Her hand instantly went to his forehead as she felt the panic bubble to the surface.

"Danny." She said in a voice that came out much calmer than she felt.

"Yeah. What's going on Lori?" He croaked as he looked at the sheer panic that rose off of her. He was beside them in an instant as he touched Steve's arm.

"Steve?" Lori whispered as she pressed her lips to his ear. "Steve!" she said a little louder as she got no response.

Danny was out the door in a heartbeat as he found Susie, who immediately paged Dr. Hathaway.

Within two minutes, Lori and Susie had cool wash clothes pressed against his skin trying to bring down the fever that raged within.

"What's going on?" Dr. Hathaway bellowed as he came sprinting into the room.

"I woke up and felt like I was pressed up against a radiator. Danny got Susie and we've been trying to get his temperature down." Lori said as her hands shook.

"His temperature is 103 and climbing." Susie said. "I already pulled blood and sent it off to the lab, his BP is low, heart rate is tachy."

"Start him on IV fluids and another round of antibiotics. Get him on oxygen, if we have to we'll intubate again. Has he been conscious at all?"

"No, he was mumbling when Susie came in, but nothing coherent." Lori said.

Dr. Hathaway leaned over Steve and flashed the pen light in his eyes. He was happy to see that he did respond to the light.

After 2 hours of running fluids and the IV antibiotics, Steve's fever was finally starting to drop. He was holding steady at around 101, which was still bad but a big improvement over its peak at 105.

Steve was also beginning to come around a little bit.

"Steve, can you hear me?" Lori whispered against his cheek as she pulled the blankets up around his shoulders since he was shivering.

"Cold." He whispered. "Too far away." He said as he reached for her.

"I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." Lori whispered as she brushed his hair back off his forehead. "You had me a little worried."

"Me, too." Danno said as he laid his hand against the top of Steve's head.

"What happened?" Steve rasped. "I feel like my head is going to explode."

"Steve, it's good to see you come around. You my friend have an infection in your blood stream. Sepsis. It caused your BP to plummet and a very high fever, which is undoubtedly what you have to thank for the headaches, along with probably some neck and joint pain. We have you loaded with antibiotics and fluids and now that you are starting to stabilize we'll give you a little something for the pain, too. This young lady here probably saved your life." Dr. Hathaway said as he put his arm around Lori.

"I did?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am. Sepsis can be extremely dangerous, particularly in cases of sever trauma since your immune system is already compromised. Left untreated it can lead to septic shock and there is a very real possibility for systematic organ failure. The fact that we were able to get him on antibiotics and fluids quickly was vital." He said.

Lori's eyes flooded with tears as she realized what could have happened. She leaned her forehead against his and kissed him as she whispered, "I don't know what I'd do without you. Please don't scare me like that again."

"I'll stay wherever you'll be. I promise." He whispered back.

Lori crawled back into bed with him and Susie returned a minute later with a warm blanket to help Steve with the shivering and chills. As Susie and Dr. Hathaway left the room with Danny, they all looked back and saw that his shivering had nearly subsided by the time Lori had helped him settle on his side with his head resting against her abdomen as she rubbed his arms and ran her fingers through his hair in a soothing manner.

"Did she really save his life?" Danny asked.

"Yes. I believe she did. Sepsis can be extremely dangerous and can quickly take a stable patient down. It is especially dangerous because the symptoms manifest slowly enough that they may go unnoticed for a while. And often times, symptoms simply don't present until the patient is already in grave danger. So, the fact that she immediately recognized the high fever was crucial. Susie will be here for the rest of the night. Steve is her only patient, so she'll be in to check on him every 20-30 minutes. With the fluids and antibiotics he should begin to stabilize in the next few hours, but we'll continue to monitor him in case he needs further intervention. For now, he should fall asleep fairly quickly. We'll keep a close eye on him and I'll be back by to check on him in an hour or two. And don't hesitate to page me for any reason, even if it's something that is seemingly innocuous." Dr. Hathaway said.

"Thank you. Both of you." Danny said as he walked back into the room to find Lori holding a sleeping Steve in her arms as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Lori, he's going to be okay." Danny whispered.

"I know, but all of the panic that built up inside of me for the last two hours doesn't seem to care. I just can't help it." She said with a shaky smile.

Danny moved to her side and whispered, "Then you go ahead and cry. But, panic or not you did a really good thing. Thanks for keeping him safe. You've been the angel on his shoulder through all of this."

She smiled an rested her chin against the top of Steve's head as Danny turned out the lights and laid his head back down looking over at Steve and Lori shrouded in the moonlight.


	16. Life's a Bitch

**I do not own Five-0 or the characters. No Copyright infringement intended.**

_My apologies to those of you who have been supportive and generous with your thoughts. please ignore my brief rant._**  
**

I had started this chapter the day that the last one was posted, but life/work has been tying me up in knots of late. But, I wanted to chat with the ANON reviewer, since I have no way to respond I'll post it here.

Anon please note, Stolen Moments **is complete**, let me sum up for you…Steve relived (in great detail) his experiences, they caught the bad guy and discovered (in great detail) what made him the man he was, and everyone got their personal stories wrapped up in 45 chapters. What about that is abrupt? I fail to see the similarities of the two other than the hospital and McWeston…most stories involve a character in the hospital and if I am writing McWeston, newsflash McWeston will be a part of the story. I do have a plan and I do make notes about stories before I write them. Perhaps you should wait and see like the rest of the readers. I have a style that you CLEARLY don't like so don't read it then.

Also, I have not started any new stories. Nor do I have any plans to do so at the moment. Perhaps you'd like to share with the class one of your stories? We do this for fun and in the hopes that others enjoy our work, not to be skewered because you personally didn't get the fulfillment from a story that you wanted.

I'm sorry that you feel that I abandon all of my stories. The person who inspired the stories I removed recently died after a 2 year battle with cancer….I believe it is within my rights to lose my inspiration after the loss of my best friend. In short, you have no idea what or who inspires people to write, so please be constructive without being judgmental in the future.

For the record, FicTreader and I PM about my stories often. I have a great deal of respect for her and her opinions…for you, I have none because you hide behind a computer and fire off flames from afar. It is not constructive criticism when you throw a salve on the wound after you basically call someone out for lack of originality, copying their own plot lines, or abruptly abandoning work.

People have quit posting here for reviews like yours ANON. People who write better than I do in my opinion. Your actions can rob other readers of a completed story. I do not get paid to write. I do it because I love it. I have gotten plenty of criticism that has spawned some great friendships and made me a better writer, but I can't take anything from yours because I have no avenue for discussion.

(please don't take this as a rant towards you FicT...you know how I feel about your honesty :)

****Stepping down off my soapbox. **

* * *

A few hours later, Danny woke with a start. He sat up as he looked over at his friend and immediately hit the call button.

He hopped over the rail on the bed and jumped to Steve's side trying to calmly wake Lori as he pressed the call button again. Her eyes opened as she jerked awake and immediately felt tightness across her palm as the air began to dry the blood that was seeping through her fingers.

"Oh god." She gasped as she tried to wipe the blood on the sheet beside her.

Seconds later, Dr. Hathaway came running into the room with two nurses just as he alarms started to wail around them.

"Call a code and get an OR now!" Dr. Hathaway yelled.

Lori and Danny backed away as the team flew into action.

"He's not coding." One of the nurses said.

"He will if we don't get going." Dr. Hathaway yelled as he place his fingers over his distended jugular vein.

Dr. Hathaway peeled back the bandages on his left side and saw the blood dripping from the sutures, which were still intact. The blood had a more viscous quality and a slightly lighter coloration, which was making his diagnosis a lot clearer, and potentially a lot more dangerous.

He packed the bandages back against the wound and listened to his heart as the nurses returned with a crash cart, a gurney and packing. Dread fell over him when he heard the tell tale rubbing sounds confirming his initial fear.

"We need to move him now. Get me a 25 gauge needle and get ready to move." He said as he helped the nurses transfer him to the gurney.

The nurse returned with the needle and a bin. Danny watched as the doctor punched the long needle into Steve's side as pinkish fluid began to slowly drain off.

"It's not doing enough, his pressure is still dropping. Let's move!" Dr. Hathaway yelled. "Call for the cardio surgeon and tell them to meet us in OR 3!" He bellowed as they rolled by the nurses station.

They placed the crash kit at the end of the gurney and literally flew out of the room dropping the soaked bandages as they went.

Lori and Danny sat shell-shocked on the floor as they processed the events of the last 3 minutes. Lori's hands shook as she surveyed the blood that had soaked up her sleeve and caked onto her hand.

"What if he doesn't make it?" She whispered.

"He's strong. He's a fighter." Danny said as he tried to convince himself, too.

Chin and Kono came around the corner twenty minutes later and panicked as they took in the sight before them.

Steve's bed was soaked with blood that dripped ominously onto the floor beneath it. Bandages and towels soaked in blood lay strewn across the floor. And Danny and Lori were huddled against the wall looking as though they had been through hell.

"What…..What happened?" Kono asked.

Lori just shook her head.

"We're not sure, but it's as bad as this looks." Danny said as he pointed to the mess before them.

Danny stood up and slipped his arms under Lori's helping her to stand. He led her in what looked like a death march to the bathroom so that they could wash away the blood that was drying against her skin. He pulled a t-shirt from Steve's bag on the floor and handed it to her, "Here, put this on. I'll be right outside."

Danny walked back into the room and stared as a nurse went to work clearing away all the remnants of the horrors they'd witness earlier. He sat on the floor where Lori joined him as the four of them waited for any word regarding Steve's condition. What they didn't know is that it would be hours until they got it.

* * *

In the OR, Dr. Hathaway worked quickly to discard the sutures on Steve's left side. And the cardiac surgeon, Dr. Serle went to work on the pericardial fluid that was compressing Steve's heart. Ordinarily, they might be able to counteract the fluid with steroids, IV fluids and antibiotics, however with Steve's injuries they didn't have the time to wait them out.

It was clear that the infection had made its way into Steve's heart causing pericarditis, and now he was showing signs of a cardiac tamponade. While Dr. Serle was attempting to alleviate the pressure using a larger needle, Dr. Hathaway went about finding the bleed in Steve's belly.

Pericardial fluid was clearly present, which was extremely disconcerting to both Doctors.

Dr. Hathaway quickly assessed the damage and found that several of Steve's internal sutures had been displaced. He replaced the sutures and cleared the fluid in order to check for other bleeds. When he was certain he'd contained the bleed, he stepped aside to give Dr. Serle more room to work.

The fluid was not draining as well as they hoped. It was clear that they were going to have to take a more aggressive approach. Dr. Serle made a small subxiphoid incision in his side and created a pericardial window allowing the excess fluid to drain off.

Finally, his pressure started to level off as his heart rate began to slow to within a normal range.

After 6 hours, Steve was still alive. But his road to recovery had just gotten substantially longer. The doctors followed as he was wheeled into recovery. Once he was situated and his vitals were assessed Dr. Hathaway made his way back out to inform his friends of his condition.

Danny spotted Dr. Hathaway as soon as he turned the corner.

"How is he? Is he out of surgery? Can we see him?" He asked.

"Steve is out of surgery. He had what we call a Cardiac Tamponade. It can occur because of an infection, which was likely to be the case here."

"What is it?" Lori asked.

"It occurs when fluid builds in the pericardium, which is a protective sac that surrounds the heart. The more fluid that builds up the harder the heart has to work in order to pump blood throughout the body. The fluid begins to crush the heart muscle and can cause cardiac arrest. We attempted to drain the fluid with a needle, however there was too much fluid, so we had to treat it more aggressively. Dr. Serle created what we call a pericardial window. It is done through a small incision below the heart that opens the pericardium and allows the fluid to drain into the surrounding tissue, or in Steve's case, we've inserted a tube to allow the fluid to drain. He will be moved to the cardiac ICU when he is out of recovery, but while he is there only one of you can sit with him. We'll be monitoring him around the clock and hopefully we can remove the drain in a day or two."

"How long until we can see him?" Lori asked.

"Probably about an hour." Dr. Hathaway answered. "If you have any questions, I'll be here for the rest of the night. The cardiac ICU is down the hallway to the right, and there is a private waiting room just past the double doors. One of the nurses will come and get you when he is in his room."

"Thank you." Lori whispered.

"We're going to take good care of him." Dr. Hathaway said as he left them to make their way to the waiting room.

About 40 minutes later a nurse came in, "Steve McGarrett?"

The team stood and walked over to the doorway.

"Yes, can we see him?" Danny asked.

"I can take one of you to see him." The nurse said.

"Danny, you go." Lori said.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

"I can let one of you sit with him for the night. If the rest of you would like to take a few minutes you can. Just keep it brief. He's not awake yet." The nurse said.

Danny followed the nurse into the room. When he came around the corner, he was stunned by what he saw. His friend was motionless with a breathing tube and a large drainage tube attached to a bag hanging from the side of his bed. He had patches on his chest that were hooked to a machine in case his heart stopped and a large IV line sewn into his skin near his collarbone. He'd never seen his friend look so vulnerable.

"Hey, Steve. I'd tell you that you that you're looking good, but I'm afraid that would be a lie." Danny said as he laid his hand over his forehead.

"You gave us a heck of a scare. I wish you'd stop that. I like it better when you scare me with your crazy driving. So, if you promise you'll stop this I'll let you drive like a lunatic anytime you want. Not a word about it. Okay babe?"

"Well, I think the others want to say hi, too. I'll come back in a while."

Danny walked into the hallway and Kono made her way over to Steve's side. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she took in Steve's condition.

"Oh Steve. I'm so sorry." She whispered as she placed a kiss against his forehead.

She sat beside him for several minutes as she silently observed the compression of the breathing apparatus behind him. It was both scary and reassuring that a machine was capable of powering the lungs when his body couldn't.

Kono glanced up and saw Chin in the doorway waiting to see his friend, too.

She hugged her cousin as she made her way passed him.

"Hey brah. I was kind of hoping we could hit the surf sometime soon. Looks like you're going to need a rain check though." Chin said as he picked up Steve's hand.

"Dr. Hathaway said you're doing good. It probably doesn't feel like it though. In fact, I'm guessing you'd be cursing the doctors right about now. I'm pretty sure none of this stuff feels very good to you."

"We're all right here. Lori is waiting to see you, brah. I'll be back later though." Chin said as he squeezed Steve's hand.

Chin kissed Lori on the forehead and wiped a tear that had escaped before leaving her to sit with Steve.

She leaned over and kissed his forehead, lingering for a few seconds as she took in his cool temperature. Even though it was probably normal, it still scared the hell out of her.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as she held his hand against her cheek. "I wish I could have done something for you so you didn't have to go through this."

"You should have let things play out the way they started. You shouldn't have..." her voice wouldn't let her finish the sentence she'd started, so she leaned in and kissed his forehead before walking out of the room.

"Danny, you should sit with him. The only thing I do is bring him pain." She said as she walked passed her friends and out of the ICU.

Chin nodded to Danny and said, "I'll go. Sit with Steve."

Chin followed Lori while Danny went back to Steve's side.

"She's going to be okay Steve. She's just scared is all." Danny whispered as he put his hand over Steve's.

* * *

NEXT UP: We'll see where Steve has been throughout this ordeal and maybe get some insight into Lori's cryptic statement.

Please enjoy and review, if you like. Love to all who are along for the ride. I really appreciate you spending the time reading my story :) FicTreader, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and that you can see what I was talking about last week. This is a McWeston story, but it more about the journey and less about the destination.

Erin


	17. Pain

**Once again I do not own Five-0 or any of it's characters. I just like to play in their world from time to time :)**

Thank you to everyone who PM'd and reviewed after the last chapter. I have so enjoyed getting to know some of you and chatting about the stories and chapters!

In my world Steve's mom is not Shelburne (so she is deceased).

Steve's mind is jumping around again. His past is haunting his world at the moment, so hopefully you enjoy the ride as we visit with some people who have shaped the course Steve's been on...

* * *

"Hey Buddy."

Steve turned towards the voice that he recognized instantly.

"Andrew?" He asked.

"Yeah. It's been too long." The voice answered.

"How are you talking to me? I mean you're…." Steve stalled before he could utter the word. "Am I…."

His mind raced as he saw a flash of the explosion that had killed his friend, Lt. Andrew Coulson. He had held his hand as he took his last breath and Steve knew that if he was seeing him now something really terrible had happened.

"Dead. Yes, you didn't imagine that. But, you are walking the tight rope right now." Andrew said.

A moment later, his father stood by his side.

"Steve, what happened?"

"I don't know. One minute I was sleeping and the next, I had a fire burning in my chest. I felt like there was an iron fist gripping my heart." Steve said.

Steve turned to find his father was no longer there. Confusion wrapped around him as he turned and moved towards the shadows.

"Hello?" He said as he moved off into the darkness.

Seconds later he found himself sitting against the wheel well of the HumVee, he was surrounded by fallen members of his former team.

Andrew leaned towards Steve and said, "It doesn't hurt you know."

"What doesn't hurt?" Steve asked.

"Dying."

"I hurt, everywhere. My chest still burns like I took a spray of bullets and my head feels like it is too crowded to form a single rational thought. I suppose that explains why you're all here."

"That's good. You need to hold onto the pain Commander, it's the only thing separating you from us." Andrew said before the scene dissolved into the beach behind his house.

Steve followed the path until he saw his mom. The ocean breeze lifted her dark curls off her shoulders into the wind. Her hand shaded her eyes as she looked up at her son.

"Hello my little boy."

Steve glanced down and noticed he was again the little boy his mother had left behind some twenty years ago. His tiny feet barely marking the sand as he moved towards her.

"Mom?"

"I always knew you would be just like your father. I watched as you grew up, you tried so hard not to be like your dad. But, of course you ended up being just as tenacious and fearless as he was." She whispered.

"I miss you." He said as he smiled at her.

"Me, too honey. I'm so sorry that I couldn't be there for you growing up. I know that made your relationship with your father tough. He never was good at separating his work from his life." She said as clouds rolled in off the ocean bringing with it the hiss and wail of machines in the background.

The sky turned into an inky black night and Steve found himself alone once again. The pain that had begun to recede clawed back up. He felt a stabbing pain in his side. Breathing became difficult as the pressure in his chest began to suck the air from his burning lungs.

Shouting voices pierced his mind and he felt like he was being dragged across the sand as everything seemed to happen in slow motion. He felt heat sear his veins with slow progress and the shadows pulled at him as he drifted further and further away.

"You know I brought you in to help me clean up our island. I loved that island. I really hoped you would catch up to Wo-Fat before he got to me. Unfortunately, he figured out that I had assembled your team to get to him and help me get out from under his grasp. We both know that didn't happen." Governor Jamison said.

"Why? How did he manage to control you, too?"

"Honestly, he got to my family. I thought I didn't have a choice. My weakness brought shame to my family instead" She answered. "I really believed he'd kill you that night, too."

"Nope. He framed me for your murder instead." Steve said with a hint of bitterness.

"Oh Steve, I'm sorry for the mess I made for you and your team. I know that I have no right to ask, but please tell me that you got him." She said.

"I did. I had to chase him all over the world, but we got him."

"Good. That's good. But, it's time for you to go. You can't stay here." She whispered as she disappeared like a vapor.

Once again, pain gnawed at his chest and carried with it the voices once again.

Danny.

"Hey, Steve. I'd tell you that you that you're looking good, but I'm afraid that would be a lie." Danny said.

"You gave us a heck of a scare. I wish you'd stop that. I like it better when you scare me with your crazy driving. So, if you promise you'll stop this I'll let you drive like a lunatic anytime you want. Okay babe?"

"Well, I think the others want to say hi, too. I'll come back in a while."

Kono.

She didn't say much, but he could feel her presence nearby. He could feel her tears, too. Somehow her response told him all he needed to know. This was bad.

Then Chin, he joked much like Danny had.

Their joking demeanor made him feel a little better. Until Lori walked in and the air was sucked from the room. His heart ached as she kissed his forehead. He'd never wanted to wake up so badly in his life. He could feel the guilt radiate from her as she spoke. He'd have given anything to erase the pain he heard drip from her voice.

Then she was gone. For the first time he felt like she had been in his world. There was a distance he felt with her that he didn't feel with the others. When he was in between it felt as though she was somehow closer, but still so far out of reach.

Confusion gripped him as the pain spread like fire to his head and limbs. The closer he got to his world the more the pain would cling to him. It was difficult not to pull back to the place where the pain ebbed and flowed away from him. It was becoming harder and harder not to run back to that place.

But then he felt a hand against his own, it was like a tether that reminded him of what he would leave behind. He listened as Danny spoke to him.

He whispered about Lori, Gracie and the rest of the team. Some of it pierced the fog around his consciousness and the rest just fluttered around him like a warm blanket. Eventually, he found himself surrounded by silence. He could stay here for a while longer. He wanted to stay.

* * *

Next up: We'll see what Lori is thinking…

Hope this wasn't too much jumping around, but as you can see nothing is making much sense to poor Steve right now. What do you think it going on? Do you think you can figure out what the twist is? Let me know :)

Thanks for reading and reviewing! E


	18. Don't Let Go

**I do not own five-0. No copyright infringement intended.**

First, let me say thanks to everyone who is following this story whether from previous stories or if this is the first of my stories you've read. You all are the reason I do this and your reviews and PM's are amazing! They make me want to write so much faster :) Hopefully this will give you a look inside Lori's head. She is not in a good place right now. Then we'll get back to Steve.

~E

* * *

_"I'm sorry." She whispered as she held his hand against her cheek. "I wish I could have done something for you."_

_"You should have let things play out the way they started." She whispered as she kissed his forehead and walked out of the room._

* * *

Lori walked out of the main entrance and sat on the bench hoping the fresh air could give her some clarity. Unfortunately, the peace she had been hoping for slipped away as Chin sat beside her.

He bumped her shoulder and asked, "How are you holding up?"

"Not well. Not well at all." She answered as she stared a hole in the ground.

"He's doing better. It's just going to take time." Chin said.

"That's what we thought before, too. Chin, what if he's not okay?"

"We have to believe that he will be."

"I just can't help thinking that if he'd just stayed put, everyone would be better off. That shot might have missed us."

"You don't really believe that. You can't."

"Look, all I'm saying is that if he'd let the whole thing play out the way it started, then things might be very different." She said.

"Yeah, we might all be sitting here worried about you. Or planning a funeral service. Look, I get it, but things are what they are. He made a choice and given the choice I think he would do it again."

"That doesn't make me wish he hadn't. There is no telling where that bullet would have landed. Maybe it would have been a catastrophic injury, but what if it had grazed my arm or something. I just can't help thinking that he shouldn't have taken that hit. I mean look at what it got him. Three surgeries, maybe more, we don't know if he's out of the woods yet. I mean look at where we were yesterday morning. We were all thinking he could be out of here in no time. But, instead he's going to pay a higher price for the decision he made. If he'd known, maybe he wouldn't have made the same one." She finished on a whisper.

"Lori, it doesn't matter what he did or what he should have done. He did what he thought was necessary and that is why he's the head of Five-0. He makes decisions without hesitation. In that moment, he thought you were at greater risk. It's done. He wouldn't want you second guessing his decision or yours. And I think he would have made the same call for anyone of us." Chin said.

"I know, it's just that I look at him so fragile and my brain can't process it. I'm used to him being a rock, unshaken and strong. What I saw when I walked into that room was decidedly more human than the superhero we're used to. Now, I just wish that I had noticed, I should have done something for him. I was lying beside him with his blood seeping through my fingers and I didn't even know."

"You've slept a couple of hours here and there max. I hardly think anyone expects you to be at the top of your game. None of us are. We're all burning the rope at both ends. At this point it's a wonder that you and Danny are even standing, let alone walking and talking for all the sleep you've been missing out on."

Lori nodded, but the voice in the back of her mind was still not letting her accept what she knew couldn't be changed.

* * *

After Lori walked out of the room, Danny sat beside Steve. He held his hand as he took in all of the equipment around his friend.

Danny sat with Steve as the monitors pinged. He felt comforted by the steady whoosh of the ventilator.

"She's going to be fine, babe. She just needs you to be okay." He whispered, "We all do. Who's going to teach Gracie how to surf? You know it's not going to be me."

"And I hate to say I told you so, but I did. You and Lori. It's like SuperSEAL meets Rambo Barbie. Yeah, I know you'd kill me if you could for saying that. I know she's not a Barbie, but you know what I mean. Pretty and lethal. Plus she is so not afraid of you. In fact, I'd be willing to bet she scares you a whole hell of a lot more than you scare her." Danny said as he brushed Steve's hair off his forehead.

"Just keep fighting, babe." Danny said as he looked towards the doorway to see Lori leaning against the door frame looking much more determined than the woman who left the room a few minutes ago.

"I am not a Barbie." She smiled. "Can I sit with him for a bit?"

"Sure, I could use a cup of coffee. Want one?" Danny asked.

"Maybe some water?" She said.

Danny nodded as he hugged her before walking down the hall towards Chin.

Lori walked over to the side of Steve's bed and lean over to place a kiss on his forehead.

"I'm sorry for running off on you. I just feel like I've let you down." She whispered as a tear chased the frown that was forming on her face.

She held his hand in hers as she spoke softly, "I've spent so much time putting you on this pedestal, thinking you were invincible. God, I wish that was true. And when you started to turn the corner, I quickly started to believe everything was going to be okay. We all did. Even you I think. But, obviously there are plans that we can't control. Because everything is so clearly not okay. And you did this because of me. God how I wish you'd have let that bullet stay on whatever course it was destined to follow, because I think I could have handled that a lot better than this."

Lori leaned her head against his thigh as she let go of the breath that was burning her lungs. "I think I fell in love with you a long time ago. I don't know if I ever had a choice in the matter, but I squashed it because I thought you hated me for so long. Why am I so drawn to people and things that I clearly can't have. And I break everything that I touch. Look what I've done to you." She whispered as she let the tears fall.

She gasped as his fingers tightened around hers and looked up to his face. But, she knew it must have been a reflex or something she'd imagined because he was still motionless.

"Please don't let the last memory I have of you be this. Please don't let go." She whispered.


	19. Eyes Wide Open

**I do not own Five-O. No copyright infringement intended.**

Hi everyone, thank you so much for the reviews. I am working hard to wrap this story for everyone, but life has been pretty busy for me lately. I hope that you enjoy this chapter. It is Steve's POV once again, so it will be a little bit jumbled as he remains unconscious.

* * *

"_God how I wish you'd have let that bullet stay on whatever course it was destined to follow, because I think I could have handled that a lot better than this. I think I fell in love with you a long time ago. I don't know if I ever had a choice in the matter, but I squashed it because I thought you hated me for so long. Why am I so drawn to people and things that I clearly can't have. And I break everything that I touch. Look what I've done to you." She whispered as she let the tears fall._

_She gasped as his fingers tightened around hers and looked up to his face. But, she knew it must have been a reflex or something she'd imagined because he was still motionless._

_"Please don't let the last memory I have of you be this. Please don't let go." She whispered._

* * *

Steve felt the sting of her words, they burned as if he had been touching the sun. He felt her pulling away from him, but his heart just couldn't let her go. He knew deep down that if he let her go, he might as well have let that bullet stay its course. Because he would be just as lost. In fact, it would be worse to lose her and know that she was still right there.

He couldn't let her go, it was that instinct that forced him to step in the path of that bullet in the first place, only at the time he hadn't been fully aware of the feelings that had been developing despite his best efforts to keep their relationship strictly professional.

His battle to stay with her has shown him what a lonely existence his had been until she came into his life. And he knew that even if it meant big changes for the two of them professionally, he was not afraid to take that step. The only thing stopping him was his head. For a reason that still eluded him, he simply could not find the strength to wake up.

And as that thought filtered to the surface, Steve was pulled into another memory. He and Lt. Emmett Delagarde had gone high as the traversed the sea of rooftops with Coulson leading the rest of the team on the ground. They were moving in on their targets Reporter Ellison Getz and his cameraman Avery Denizen who had been captured and were being held in a compound buried in the center of a small town. Their compound was surrounded by innocent families; children who would never understand the carefree childhood that most enjoyed because they had never known a world that wasn't surrounded with war, poverty and destruction.

Steve's team had been sent in to retrieve the reporter and his cameraman in the hopes of a quiet extraction. They did not want to unleash a slew of gunfire and death on the unsuspecting neighbors. But, as Steve grew closer to the compound, he knew they were in for one hell of a fight.

His team below had just come up to the last row of houses. He and Delagarde were their eyes above on the rooftops as they looked over the compound walls.

"All clear," Delagarde whispered over their comms.

As soon as the words left his mouth, a single round came sailing over the wall. At first, Steve sucked in a breath as he waited for the hit to land. He breathed a sigh of relief as he turned to Delagarde only to watch him choke on the blood that had bubbled up from his lungs.

As the pain of that image rattled around in his brain, he felt a hand on his shoulder. As he turned towards him they were no longer on the rooftop, but instead on the beach behind his home.

"McGarrett, you couldn't have known that shot was coming over the wall. It could just as easily hit you instead. But, it didn't. You need to make peace with that so that you can get where you need to go." Delagarde said to him.

"Where do I need to go?" Steve asked.

"Well, that part of the story is still unwritten. Maybe you are supposed to stay here. Or perhaps, there is still something keeping you in the world that I left behind years ago. But one thing is for certain, if you want to get back there, you need to leave the demons where they belong. You can't take us with you. You were following orders as much as I was that night on those rooftops, and anyone of us could have taken that hit. Your guilt is the anchor that is keeping you here." Delagarde said.

"How do I let go of the guilt?"

"You just do. There is nothing anyone can do or say to make it go away. You have to decide to let it go. The guilt is your doing, we all made the decision to put ourselves in danger, we did not follow you blindly into a slaughter. Besides, seems like you tried to re-write history this time. You took that bullet after all, and now she's the one housing the guilt. She'll keep it forever if you can't let go of your own and get back to her."

"You always were the smart one weren't you?" Steve said as he smiled.

That thought finally resonated. He was condemning Lori to the life he was about to leave behind. One of pain and regret and even worse than that was the loneliness; the kind that could consume you even in a room full of people.

Seconds later, his eyes burned as he felt the hot tracks of tears against his cheeks. Fluorescent lights overhead were making it hard for him to make sense of his surroundings. And the whoosh of his ventilator was piercing.

Then he felt her warm fingers wrapped around his. He wanted to say something, anything, but the vent made it impossible, so he did the only thing he could to grab her attention. He squeezed her hand with every ounce of energy he could muster and she turned towards him as his eyes struggled to bring her into focus.

"Steve? Oh my god, Danny he's awake!" She said as she pushed the call button.

Her hand swept over his cheek as she leaned over and kissed his forehead, "I'm so happy to see those bright blue eyes. I was beginning to think I might never see them again." She whispered as her tears mingled with his.

His head spun with jumbled thoughts and memories, but one thought couldn't have been more clear to him, 'I love her'.

* * *

Hope that this was worth the wait :)

E


	20. Three Little Words

**I do not own anything Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.**

You will start to see some of his memories or dreams if you prefer come full circle in this chapter. I hope you enjoy!

Thanks for being patient with me and sticking with this story. I hope that I have done it justice thus far :)

E

* * *

_"Steve? Oh my god, Danny he's awake!" She said as she pushed the call button._

_Her hand swept over his cheek as she leaned over and kissed his forehead, "I'm so happy to see those bright blue eyes again. I was beginning to think I might never see them again." She whispered as her tears mingled with his._

_His head spun, but one clear thought couldn't be more clear to him, 'I love her'._

* * *

Lori held Steve's hand as tears filled her eyes. And Danny stood on his other side with his hand lightly brushing against his forehead.

"Hey babe. You've got to stop scaring us like that. I swear I thought driving with you would be the scariest thing I ever experienced, and yet you always manage to prove me wrong." Danny said.

Steve could feel the relief radiating off his friends. Truth be told, he was pretty relieved to be among the living once again. He was starting to worry a little, too. He felt like the longer he lingered with the people of his past the further he had gotten from the living. Not that we couldn't all appreciate a trip down memory lane, but not when the price was this high.

Danny watched as Steve reached up to his throat, clearly he wanted to vent out.

"Okay babe, take it easy. Let me see if I can find a doctor to see about taking that out." Danny said. "Keep an eye on him Lori, don't want him checking back out on us."

Lori smiled as she brushed the hair back on his forehead.

"I'm not going anywhere. So don't you even think about checking out on me."

About ten minutes later, Danny returned with Dr. Hathaway.

"Son, you gave all of us a bit of a scare there. Let me just give you a once over before we go taking that vent off." He said.

Dr. Hathaway checked his vitals and did everything he could to ensure that Steve wasn't going to have a setback when they removed the vent.

"Okay son. I think you are good to go. I'm going to pull this out again, now just remember to blow out the air as I remove it. I know it's not going to feel great, but you'll be much happier when the tube is out."

Steve did as he was told and moments later he was coughing as he took his first breath free of the vent. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on taking slow deep breaths. As he did, he felt Danny rubbing his arm and Lori resting her fingers against his cheek. The two of them somehow managed to deliver an instant calming effect.

As his heart rate began to level off, he opened his eyes again to see Danny, Lori and Dr. Hathaway watching him.

"How are you feeling son?" Dr. Hathaway asked.

"Pain." He whispered in a voice that was barely audible.

"Where is the pain?"

"Chest." He whispered again.

"Well, I'm sorry to say that is to be expected. You've had a rough couple of days. We had to open you back up."

"What happened?" He croaked with just a tiny bit more volume.

"You had an infection that found it's way into your pericardium. It caused a significant amount of fluid to build around your heart that started to impair its function. It can be quite painful just by itself. And we had to go in and intervene surgically, so you are going to have to take it easy for a while."

"How long?" Steve asked.

"A couple of weeks." Dr. Hathaway answered.

"No. How long was I out?" Steve asked.

He noticed that Danny and Lori looked uncomfortable. By their response, he was certain it had been a while.

Dr. Hathaway nodded and Danny spoke up, "Six days."

Immediately, Steve's heart rate kicked up as panic started to flood his system. All of a sudden, he was very much aware of just how close he had come to the edge where life inevitable met death.

But, as it had before Lori's hand softly rested against his cheek, her fingers softly easing the fear that he felt.

"It's okay. You made it back and that's all that matters. You just needed some time, that's all." She whispered as she leaned over and kissed him softly. He felt the moment she pulled back as she realized that it might not be appropriate and he heard himself audible mourn the loss of contact. She smiled down at him when she heard it.

"Water?"

"You can have some water, just try to sip it slowly." Dr. Hathaway answered as Danny poured some water into a glass.

Dr. Hathaway raised the bed just a bit so he didn't choke and then Danny held the straw up for him.

Steve nodded, "Thanks," as Danny set the glass back on the bedside table.

"No problem. Just let me know if you want more." He answered.

Steve reached his right hand up and ghosted his fingers over the dark circles that appeared under Lori's eyes. They hadn't been there the last time he saw her.

"You need to sleep more." He stated.

She laughed as she kissed the palm of his hand and held it in her own.

"I will now, I promise." She whispered.

"She's barely left your side since that first night." Danny said.

"That's not entirely true. I have to admit I panicked a little that first night. But, I couldn't leave." She said as a single tear escaped.

Steve followed its path and swiped the tear from her cheek before he said, "I know. I heard you. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't change a thing. I knew the risk I was taking, and I'd take it again."

"I know that now. But, it doesn't make this any easier to take. It should have been me."

"I've been there sweet girl. I sat inches away from a friend when he took a bullet. I spent years telling myself it should have been me. But, it wasn't. I finally realized something important. Putting my life on hold didn't make his death any more or less meaningful. But, it made it harder for me to see the good things that were right here in front of me. I spent so much time believing I had robbed him of a life, but all I really did is rob myself. I can't let you do that to yourself." He whispered as he squeezed her hand.

As he spoke, they could hear the exhaustion dripping off of every word.

"Steve, I'm going to give you something for the pain. It should help you sleep for a little while, too. You need all the rest you can get." Dr. Hathaway said as he injected something into his IV.

He felt the warmth spread through his veins as his heart pumped the meds through his body and his eyes fluttered closed once again.

The last thing he felt was her hair brushing against his neck as she leaned in and whispered, "I love you. I was so afraid I'd never get the chance to tell you."

* * *

So, How did I do? : }


	21. Home

**I do not own anything H5-0. No copyright infringement intended.**

For those of you that have stuck with me, thank you! I know it's been a long time since I've posted but life has been crazy over the last few months.

I appreciate all the reviews and there are a few I'd like to address here since I can't answer guest reviews, though I wish I could :). My other stories came down because I recently got the opportunity to publish two books. I am also working on a third book now! Anyway, two of the stories here were related to the books that I published. One inspired a story I posted here (Stolen Moments) and the other was inspired by something that I wrote here though lots of changes were made (Delivery of Fate). Stolen Moments was actually inspired by a manuscript I had written and had been trying to get published, and the writing here even helped me to make the original story more cohesive and ultimately resulted in getting the original published! But for that reason, I also had to remove them. If you would like more info on how to find them please PM me.

The other stories were removed because they were originally written for a couple of friends who passed away. After a few months, I still wasn't able to complete them and got a few unkind messages and reviews about leaving them unfinished…so I took them down. It was a really hard decision to make. As was pulling any of the work. I love my loyal readers so much and I hated to take them down. So much of what I have done here has made me a better writer and I still spend a lot of time here reading others stories. I read mostly H5-0 stories, but sometimes lurk around other fandoms, too :) If you've read anything great let me know, I love to read new stories or find old favorites!

At any rate, I may post some new stories down the road and if I do they will be stories I do not plan to publish so that I will not have to remove them as long as FF and my publisher continues to allow it. And I will probably post a few more chapters for The End as well :)

Thanks for coming along for the ride. Reads and reviews are much appreciated!

E

And now, I will shut up and get back to the story!

* * *

The next morning, Steve woke up with the sun warming his skin. He glanced over to the window and saw Danny looking out on the courtyard.

"Morning." Steve croaked.

Danny turned in his direction and said, "Better than the last few. It's good to hear your voice again. You had us all a little scared."

"Sorry about that. It wasn't exactly a cake walk for me." Steve said with a smile.

"I don't doubt that at all. How's your pain? Want me to get the doctor?" Danny asked.

"No. I want to stay awake for a little while. No meds yet. Where's Lori?" He whispered.

Danny pointed to Steve's right.

Steve slowly turned towards the other side of the room and saw Lori curled up in the other bed. Her lashes obscured the dark shadows, but he'd seen them the night before.

"Has she been asleep long?"

"No, maybe an hour. She's barely slept in the last week. I think she's taken this harder than all of us. Maybe feels a little responsible?"

"I know. I know how she feels. But, I wouldn't have changed a thing. It's my job to make sure my team stays safe."

"Babe, you and I both know it's more than that."

"Yes, it is. I couldn't imagine living in a world where she didn't exist. You know I have never needed anyone. Prided myself on that fact even but, then she came along and I started to feel differently. I mean I had you guys, but she was different. It pissed me off at first, I didn't want to need her but, it's hard not to get attached when we have so much in common. I mean, I took you hiking and you bitched the whole way. I took her hiking and ended up chasing her the whole way. Of course, chasing her wasn't exactly a hardship. I don't know, she just makes me feel happy, and happy is something I never expected to feel after my dad died. I think I'd kind of resigned myself to feeling alone." Steve whispered as he watched her sleep.

"You already loved her. You just weren't ready to admit it." Danny said with a smile.

"I think so. I think I was afraid that maybe she wouldn't love me back. I'm not exactly an easy person to love." Steve whispered.

"You got that right babe." Danny said with a smirk. "Good thing we all love you anyway!"

"I love you, too Danno." Steve said.

"I know and for the record…She does love you."

"I know, she told me. Made me kind of wish they hadn't given me pain meds last night. I would have given anything to tell her she wasn't the only one ." Steve said as he looked at her again.

"There'll be time for that later. You needed the rest." Danny said as he looked out into the corridor to see Dr. Hathaway. "I'll be back in a few. I'm going to see what the good doctor has to say about your recovery."

On his way out Danny leaned down and whispered, "He's awake," to Lori as he gently touched her shoulder. She quickly glanced in his direction and was instantly alert, moving towards Steve with a little hesitation.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Better now." He answered as he reached for her hand.

"God, it's good to see you awake and outside the influence of pain medication for a change." She smiled. "Are you in much pain?"

"Some, but I don't want to go back to sleep yet." He said as his thumb coasted over the soft skin of her wrist.

"Well, I'm sure the rest would be good for you." She said as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Steve still held her hand, but he felt the surge of adrenaline as her other hand moved to rub his calf. Even through the blanket, her effect on him was undeniable.

"I'm sure that Dr. Hathaway will come in any minute and agree with you, but for now I just want to talk to you." Steve said as he lifted her hand to his cheek. He closed his eyes as he took in her warmth and the light scent of hibiscus and vanilla that he had come to associate with her alone.

"What did you want to talk about?" She asked as she allowed her fingers to gently sift through the hair at his temple. The sensation made him tremble beneath her touch. "Are you cold? Want me to get another blanket?" Lori asked.

"No. I'm fine, just don't stop doing that." He smiled.

She laughed as she moved her other hand to the right side of his neck and watched as his eyes slid closed. She leaned forward and let her lips gently touch his forehead. For the first time in days, he didn't feel like he was burning up and relief washed over her.

Lori closed her eyes as she just listened to him breathe before leaning down and allowing her lips to gently brush Steve's. Her eyes snapped open the instant she felt his hand in her hair only to connect with his eyes and the fire that burned behind their blue depths.

Moments later, he closed his eyes and leaned back to collect himself. Her heart beat frantically as she waited for him to say something. It felt like an eternity before the words came, so she started to apologize.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..." The words died on her lips as she felt his hand touch her cheek.

"I love you, too." He whispered. "I wanted to tell you last night, but the clouds moved in too quickly."

A tear tracked down her cheek and landed against his thumb before he swiped the remnants away.

"Please don't scare me like that again." She whispered. "I can't let you go now."

"I'm not going anywhere that I can't take you. I promise." He smiled as his fingers slipped into her hair so he could ease her down for one more kiss before Dr. Hathaway came to ruin the moment.

Seconds later, a pair of throats were cleared from the doorway.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to check on our patient. Though it appears you are feeling better." Dr. Hathaway said with a little chuckle.

"I am. Sore and tired, but better." Steve answered.

"Glad to hear it. We've all been worried about you. This has not been the easy recovery we'd been hoping for but, it seems like you are heading in the right direction now."

"I sure hope so. I'm ready to get out of here. How long until that might be a possibility?" Steve asked as he looked at Lori.

"Unfortunately, a week or two would be my best guess. You've been through a lot. I'm not ready to turn you loose anytime real soon." Dr. Hathaway said. "But, hopefully in a day or two we can start getting you out of this bed and moving around just a little. Maybe that will make you a little less antsy."

"Maybe. I guess it will have to do. I'm not to keen on having anymore setbacks, so I guess I'll have to take it easy." Steve said.

"Wait a minute, what? Did I just hear Steven admit that he's not invincible?" Danny interrupted.

"Yeah, yeah. I hope you had a tape recorder because it's likely to be the only time you ever hear it." Steve laughed.

"Well, I'd like it if you could eat a little something before we give you something to help you sleep and ease any pain that's still lingering. I know you're not a fan, but the rest is what's going to get you out of here the fastest." The doc said.

"I suppose I'll have to deal with it. It's not like I can run away from the nurse. I'm pretty much at their mercy until I can get out of bed anyway." Steve said.

"Agreed. I'm going to have the nurse get you something to eat and then perhaps you can visit with your friends for a bit before they put you out." The doctor said with a laugh.

"Okay, doc. I'll try to behave."

Danny and Lori both laughed at that comment.

A few minutes later, one of the nurses came in with some juice and a bowl of soup. It wasn't the most exciting thing, but he was sure it was the best they could offer given his last week or so. The nurse helped him to sit up a bit and raised the back of the bed slightly which made his pain a little bit more persistent, but when Lori sat on the edge of the bed the pain was forgotten. Danny excused himself to take a shower while she helped him with his soup. He figured it was a little embarrassing, but better than having a nurse do it.

Lori set the bowl aside once he'd eaten all he could handle and his eyes began to flutter closed. She helped Steve get the bed back into a more reclined position and then moved to stand up, but Steve's hand closed around hers as he said, "Please just stay here with me."

She felt him slide over closer to the opposite rail to make room for her to climb further into the bed with him. He lifted the covers and let them fall over her as she rested her cheek against his shoulder and within a few moments he fell asleep to the soft sounds of her breathing beside him.

Danny came out of the bathroom a few minutes later and smiled as the nurse rounded the corner with a syringe to administer his pain meds and ensure he slept peacefully. She quietly moved to the other side of the room and pushed the pain meds through his IV as Danny crawled into the bed Lori had been sleeping in earlier allowing himself to finally get some much needed sleep.

* * *

I hope that you liked the chapter. I will try to post another chapter this week sometime if I can :)

Thanks to all who have stuck with me!


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